CDOT to realign Trinidad’s Exit 14 off-ramp for safer driving
Exit 14’s southbound ramp in Trinidad will close later this year for a straighter concrete rebuild, with trucks detoured to Exit 13 during the two-week shutdown.
Southbound drivers leaving I-25 at Trinidad’s Exit 14 will eventually face a straighter ramp, a new concrete surface and a two-week detour to Exit 13 while CDOT rebuilds the curve at mile point 14.5.
The Colorado Department of Transportation said the work will begin Monday, May 4, and run through September on the southbound off-ramp that serves Trinidad in Las Animas County. The $2.34 million project is being handled by Concrete Works of Colorado and is designed to replace old asphalt pavement with a new concrete ramp while shifting the exit into a straighter alignment.
CDOT says the existing ramp has a sharp radius that makes driving conditions less predictable, especially for larger trucks with a tighter turn radius. The agency says the redesign will improve visibility, reduce sudden sharp turning movements and minimize side forces as drivers leave Interstate 25. Shane Ferguson, CDOT Region 2 transportation director, said the change will provide a smoother road surface and route when exiting I-25 and will enhance traveler safety.
The project is expected to unfold in two phases. Phase 1 will stay off the roadway and should create few impacts for travelers. Phase 2, planned for late summer, will require a shutdown of the southbound Exit 14 off-ramp for about two weeks. During that closure, traffic headed for Trinidad will be detoured on I-25 to Exit 13.
CDOT also said San Pedro Street will be closed from the Exit 14 off-ramp, which connects to Colorado Avenue, to Commercial Street through August. That closure will affect access near the interchange while crews work on the ramp improvements and related construction along the corridor.
Work is scheduled Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CDOT is directing drivers to check COtrip.org, the COtrip Planner app, project alerts and the project information line at 970-880-4162 before heading out. The agency is also urging motorists to know before they go and to slow for the cone zone as the Exit 14 rebuild gets underway.
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