At around 3:15 p.m., the line of cars leaving Coronado High School moves very slowly. Once drivers exit the parking lot, the wait isn’t over. Brake lights glow a solid red as drivers inch forward on Fillmore Street, waiting for the cars to move forward, which slowly happens. What used to be a quick turn toward the highway or onto Centennial Boulevard now feels like a huge waste of time daily.
New ongoing construction along Fillmore Street near Coronado High School combined with continued lane shifts on Interstate 25 at the Fillmore exit have created heavy congestion for drivers in the area. Students, parents, and commuters say that the overlapping projects have made the area especially crowded during rush hours. What began as highway improvements farther down the road has now moved closer to Coronado, bringing daily congestion near Centennial Boulevard and King Soopers.
Road work near the intersection of Fillmore Street and Centennial Boulevard, close to King Soopers and Coronado High School, has led to temporary lane adjustments and slower traffic flow in recent weeks. At the same time, the Colorado Department of Transportation continues work on I-25 between Fillmore Street and Garden of the Gods Road, where drivers encounter narrowed lanes and shifting traffic patterns. Whether drivers are getting on the highway or exiting at Fillmore, it affects both sides of the road.
The I-25 project began in October 2023 and is expected to continue through 2026. According to CDOT, the improvements from the project include adding extra lanes and improving merging areas to increase long-term traffic flow along the road. While the long-term goal is efficiency, the short-term impact is very noticeable each afternoon. Drivers have experienced delays, especially during afternoon and evening rush hours.
Lisa Strutz, who frequently drives through the construction, stated, “The construction and traffic on Fillmore has been going on for nearly three years now. The highway is a nightmare, and the construction that recently began right by King Soopers causes traffic to be even worse.”
For many drivers, the frustration is increased because of the overlapping projects. The narrowed highway lanes slow traffic before drivers even reach the Fillmore exit. Once off the interstate, additional lane adjustments near Centennial create another bottleneck of traffic. The result is a stretch of road that is frequently backed up, especially during busy hours.
As construction moves closer to Coronado, students say the impact has become more noticeable.
Harrison Aker, Class of 2026, stated, “When the construction was causing traffic further down Fillmore, it didn’t really affect me that much. Now that it is starting right next to Coronado, the traffic and the time it takes to get out of the parking lot to the highway is much longer than it used to be.”
Students leaving campus during rush hours often have to wait through multiple light cycles before finally getting out of the parking lot. Then, the process repeats at the Centennial intersection. Some drivers attempt to find alternate routes, but there are very few detours that don’t add even more time.
Transportation officials say the improvements are intended to reduce long-term congestion and improve safety once the project is complete. However, until the construction is complete, the stretch of Fillmore near Coronado continues to be a daily challenge for people simply trying to go home.
