El Paso County is planning on turning Hodgen Road into a Minor Arterial. These improvements would affect Hodgen Road over the 10 miles from Highway 83 east to Eastonville Road with possible future extension to Elbert Road.

Minor arterials are designed to serve high speed, high volume traffic over medium distances. The present right-of-way is 60 feet wide. The county wants to expand that to 100 feet.

The improvements include extensive re-grading to eliminate hills and valleys, numerous turn lanes at intersections, and limitations on non-intersection access to Hodgen Road. The design calls for two 12-foot traffic lanes, one in each direction, bordered by 10 feet on each side containing a bicycle lane and sloped gravel shoulder.

This is good news for the most part. Hodgen Road has always been fast, now it will be fast and safer. As far as the improvements affect on real estate values, I think this is positive news, for the most part.

Faster access to Jackson Creek, I-25 and Monument help eliminate the lack on amenities objection Realtors often find when showing east of Highway 83.

There are sections on the north side of High Forest Ranch that were borderline close to Hodgen, these improvements will more then likely create a bona-fide resale objection for those homes. On the up side, access to Jackson Creek's amenities, I-25 and Monument could work to balance those objections.

Overall this coupled with the extension of Baptist Road to 83 make life on the North End much eaiser.