Colorado 115 connects Caņon City with Colorado Springs via Florence, Penrose, and Fort Carson. The road is fairly well traveled, but there are frequent passing lanes and four-lane sections. Much of the route is rural, with some intervening development. Part of the rural character is due to the sprawling Fort Carson, which lies generally between Colorado 115 and Interstate 25/U.S. 85-87 through central El Paso County and northwestern Pueblo County.
Colorado 115 - North
Colorado 115 begins as an east-west route connecting Caņon City, Lincoln Park, and Florence (via an old alignment of U.S. 50). East of Florence, the highway turns north, and Colorado 115 meets U.S. 50 again at this diamond interchange. As the most direct route from eastbound U.S. 50 to northbound Interstate 25 to Colorado Springs and Denver, Colorado 115 sees a great deal of recreational and long-distance traffic by offering a route that avoids urban Pueblo. Most of Colorado 115 is two lanes, but sections have more lanes. Here, Colorado 115 crosses over the U.S. 50 expressway and meets the onramp to U.S. 50 westbound. Photo taken 08/27/04.
Now entering Penrose, this is the first reassurance shield on northbound Colorado 115 after the U.S. 50 interchange. Penrose is an unincorporated area within Fremont County that is home to over 6,000 people (as of 1997, per the Chamber of Commerce webpage). Photo taken 08/27/04.
North of Penrose, Colorado 115 travels northeast along the boundary with Fort Carson, a large military reservation that covers hundreds of square miles in northwestern Pueblo and southwestern El Paso County. The ride along Colorado 115 is scenic, with rolling foothills and frequent passing lanes (such as the ones shown in the photograph). Photo taken 08/27/04.
Colorado 115 leaves Fremont County and enters El Paso County. It narrowly avoids nicking the extreme northwestern corner of Pueblo County. Photo taken 08/27/04.
Northbound Colorado 115 reaches the offramp to Colorado 83/Academy Boulevard north (actually east) to U.S. 85-87, Interstate 25, and eastern Colorado Springs. At the Interstate 25 interchange (Exit 135), Colorado 115 turns from due east to north, offering a bypass of downtown via Academy Boulevard. Colorado 83 again connects with Interstate 25 at Exit 150 north of downtown near the Air Force Academy. Photo taken 08/27/04.
After crossing under the Colorado 83 overpass, northbound Colorado 115 enters the city of Colorado Springs. At an elevation of 6,035 feet, Colorado Springs receives only about 15-16 inches of precipitation annually. An estimated 350,000 people call Colorado Springs home, including many who work for the various military installations around town (including Fort Carson, Air Force Academy, and Cheyenne Mountain). Photo taken 08/27/04.
Continuing north, Colorado 115 passes a few intersections before approaching Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard. After that intersection, Colorado 115 approaches its terminus at the junction with U.S. 85-87 at a diamond interchange. Use the offramp to follow U.S. 85-87 southeast to Security-Widefield. Continue straight ahead to follow U.S. 85-87 onto Nevada Avenue, with a junction with Interstate 25. Photo taken 08/27/04.
Northbound Colorado 115 approaches the right turn to Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard. Photo taken 08/27/04.
This is the traffic signal that governs the flow of traffic between Colorado 115 and Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard. Photo taken 08/27/04.
Colorado 115 meets U.S. 85-87 at this diamond interchange between Nevada Avenue and Lake Avenue. The offramp connects to Lake Avenue, which carries U.S. 85-87 South to the east and Colorado 122 to the west. The two through lanes of Colorado 115 become U.S. 85 northbound, which connects to Interstate 25 less than a mile north of here. This interchange marks the northern terminus of Colorado 115, even though signs to Colorado 115 are posted on Interstate 25 at the Nevada Avenue interchange. Photo taken 08/27/04.
Colorado 115 - South
After the Interstate 25 interchange, the business loop ends and U.S. 85-87/Colorado 115 continues south along Nevada Avenue. The first interchange along southbound is the split between Colorado 115 and U.S. 85-87. Of course, U.S. 87 is not signed even though it is shown on nearly every map of this area. Photo taken 08/29/04.
The left two lanes continue south as Colorado 115 to Penrose and Caņon City, while the offramp connects U.S. 85-87 south to Lake Avenue. Photo taken 08/29/04.
After the Lake Street/U.S. 85-87 interchange, Colorado 115 south approaches Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard, a major thoroughfare in southwestern Colorado Springs. It travels west toward the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and Seven Falls. Photo taken 08/29/04.
After Cheyenne Mountain Boulevard, the next exit is Clubhouse Drive. Although Colorado 115 is mostly a primary arterial, it has certain expressway characteristics with its myriad assortment of interchanges. Photo taken 08/29/04.
An offramp carries traffic from Colorado 115 south to Clubhouse Drive. Photo taken 08/29/04.
As Colorado 115 south prepares to leave the city of Colorado Springs, the final major interchange is with Colorado 83, which travels east to Interstate 25 and to Academy Boulevard north to the municipal airport and Peterson Air Force Base. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Southbound Colorado 115 reaches the offramp for Colorado 83 east to Interstate 25. Photo taken 08/29/04.
At the O'Connell Boulevard cloverleaf interchange, there is a ramp to NORAD Road, which travels east to Cheyenne Mountain. Cheyenne Mountain is a military installation formally known as Cheyenne Mountain Air Force Station (CMAFS) or Cheyenne Mountain Operations Center. Several defense and aerospace commands make their home here, including NORAD, which stands for "North American Aerospace Defense Command." The installation is located some 2,000 feet below the surface of the mountain, and technology within the mountain enable the United States and Canada to identify incoming missile strikes. Coupled with the nearby Air Force Academy and Fort Carson, Cheyenne Mountain adds to the strong military presence in greater Colorado Springs. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Shortly after the Cheyenne Mountain interchange, another junction provides access to the main gate of Fort Carson, another military installation. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Between Colorado Springs and Penrose, Colorado 115 reduces to two lanes, one in each direction, with provisions for passing on upgrades, downgrades, and near certain intersections. To the east of Colorado 115 is Fort Carson, and to the west is the foothills. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Here is a sample four-lane stretch along southbound Colorado 115 as it travels alongside the western border of Fort Carson. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Now in Penrose, southbound Colorado 115 approaches its interchange with U.S. 50. Through this part of Fremont County, U.S. 50 is an expressway. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Use U.S. 50 west to the Royal Gorge of the Arkansas River and Caņon City, the gateway to this tourist attraction. The Royal Gorge is home to the world's tallest suspension bridge, as it crosses over the narrow and deep gorge. Train rides through the gorge are allowed from a train that originates in Caņon City. Other attractions at Royal Gorge include an incline train to the bottom of the gorge, a zoo, a gondola over the gorge, and miscellaneous other attractions. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Use U.S. 50 east to Pueblo as well as all southeastern Colorado cities, such as Rocky Ford, La Junta, Las Animas, and Lamar. U.S. 50 follows the Arkansas River as it flows into Kansas near the town of Holly (home of former Colorado Governor Roy Roemer), picking up a companion in the form of U.S. 400 in Granada. Photo taken 08/29/04.
The right lane is exit only for U.S. 50 west to Caņon City, while the left lane continues as south Colorado 115 and provides the connection to eastbound U.S. 50. Photo taken 08/29/04.
Southbound Colorado 115 reaches the transition ramp onto westbound U.S. 50. Continue across the bridge to reach the ramp to eastbound U.S. 50. Photo taken 08/29/04.
