Drivers, residents and businesses along North 9th Street in Cañon City should see construction disruptions begin to ease within weeks as crews finish two major improvement projects extending across roughly two miles north of downtown.
The first project, a half-mile segment between Washington Street and Meadows Avenue just south of the city limits, officially ends Wednesday when the rebuilt section reopens to traffic. Crews widened and reconstructed the roadway after earlier excavations left it in poor condition. The work also added sidewalks for the first time, improving pedestrian access along the corridor.
For JR’s Food Store, the reopening brings relief after months of reduced traffic. Manager Tina Reed said the store sometimes closed two hours early because fewer customers were coming in, although contractors working nearby helped offset some of the lost business.
“There were quiet days, and there were still days that we were busy,” said manager Tina Reed. “But the contractors kinda made up for some of it. Just the business from them. 9th Street is very nice to drive on now.”
Water-main work continues farther north
The second project has caused a bigger disruption because construction moved through a residential neighbourhood while crews replaced a water main. The project also includes repaving over the utility work and installing a new concrete framework.
The longest section runs between Floral and Harding avenues. Much of that area has already reopened, but a final three-block construction segment remains. Work began in May, and officials say the project remains on schedule for completion in mid-October, when they expect to reopen the remaining section.
Nearby homeowner Dawn Shaffer said the improvements were overdue, particularly because the area had experienced significant flooding. She said crews considered residents’ concerns while repaving near their properties.
“This work was really needed,” said nearby homeowner Dawn Shaffer. “They were very generous and took our points into consideration when they were repaving the road, because we used to have a lot of bad flooding in this area. So, they were very considerate in that regard.”
Shaffer also said workers found a dinosaur fossil near her property and gave it to her and her daughter, Eleanor. She identified it as a vertebra from a long-tailed dinosaur and said a museum estimated its age at approximately 65 million to 70 million years.
“It’s a vertebra from some sort of long-tailed dinosaur,” Dawn revealed. “The museum said that it’s around 65 million to 70 million years old. It’s nice to know the value so we can insure it, at least.”
More construction planned near Main Street
Another long-running project is expected to resume this fall at the east end of Main Street, where a natural-gas line is being relocated beneath railroad tracks. The first attempt failed when the metal pipe broke underground. During a second attempt, the pipe damaged a city water line that then required repairs. The contractor has redesigned the relocation, and the city plans to begin a stormwater project in the area after the gas-line work is complete.
The North 9th Street work follows other recent downtown-area projects, including new crosswalks and signals on the west end of US 50 in 2024 and a beautification project completed last year on the west end of Main Street. Residents are now hoping for a pause in major construction once the current projects finish.