Colorado State Highway 21

State Highway 21
Route information
Maintained by CDOT
Length:	20.56 mi[1] (33.09 km)
Major junctions
North end:	SH 83 near Black Forest
	US 24 in Colorado Springs
South end:	SH 16(Mesa Ridge Parkway) in Security-Widefield
Location
Counties:	El Paso
Highway system
Colorado State Highways Interstate U.S. State ← SH 17 SH 22 →

State Highway 21 is an expressway in El Paso County, in eastern Colorado Springs. The highway serves as an eastern bypass for the city of Colorado Springs. Officially, the routing is from SH-16(Mesa Ridge Parkway) in the south to Interquest Parkway/SH 83 in the north.

Route description

For most of its routing the highway is a four to six-lane, limited access highway. In the north, it begins as a semi-freeway with a 60 mph speed limit, and becomes a six lane expressway with a 55 mph speed limit in the city of Colorado Springs after Union Boulevard and remains so throughout the entire route. The northern section, from Research Parkway to Interquest Parkway/SH 83 is constructed to interstate highway standards with sufficient right-of-way to construct planned overpasses and on/off-ramps. CDOT completed interchanges and bridges at Union Boulevard and Briargate Parkway in 2013. Future interchanges at Research Parkway, Old Ranch Road, SH 83 and a future freeway to freeway interchange planned for the SH 21/I-25/Northgate Blvd interchange will be constructed based on the availability of funding and need. The whole routing from I-25 to Proby Parkway is planned as a controlled-access freeway. The southern portion (from Research Parkway) is a limited-access highway with interchanges constructed at Woodmen Road and Platte Ave/US 24. It ends at Mesa Ridge Parkway in Security-Widefield.

History

The route was established on October 1, 2007.^[2] When defined, its routing included the entire length of Powers Boulevard.

Junction list

The entire route is in El Paso County.

Location	mi	km	Destinations	Notes
Black Forest	154	248	SH 83 (InterQuest Parkway) – Colorado Springs, Denver	Northern terminus
Colorado Springs	153	246	Old Ranch Road
	152	245	Union Boulevard, Briargate Parkway	Interchange (opened in 2012)
	149	240	Woodmen Road	Interchange
	141	227	US 24 east – Limon, Downtown	North end of US 24 overlap
	139	224	US 24 west (Fountain Boulevard) – Manitou Springs	South end of US 24 overlap
Security-Widefield	131	211	SH 16 (Mesa Ridge Parkway) – Fountain	Southern terminus
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi       Concurrency terminus

References