Get ready to take some detours: the first phase of full road closures on the Horsetooth and College intersection began Monday, June 18, with full closures going into fall.

From June 18 to July 16, East Horsetooth Road will be closed from College Avenue to Mitchell Drive, according to the City.

There will be no left-turns allowed in any direction during the closure. College Avenue will be reduced to two lanes in each direction and West Horsetooth Road will be reduced to a single lane in each direction approaching College Avenue.

All businesses in the area will remain open and accessible, however.

The recommended detour routes are Drake Road and Harmony Road, which are connected via Shields Street and Lemay Avenue, according to the City.

Pedestrians and bicyclists can detour using Creger Drive, Bockman Drive, and John F. Kennedy Parkway or on Mason Street and Monroe Drive.

After the east side construction is complete, College Avenue to Mason Street will be fully closed for West Horsetooth Road construction, to be completed Sept. 9.

The intersection project includes the following improvements:

• Fully rebuilding the existing intersection with concrete pavement
• Adding dual left turn lanes in all directions
• Adding right turn lanes with pedestrian refuge islands on College Avenue
• Fully replacing the bridge on Horsetooth Road over Larimer Canal No. 2
• Widening the College Avenue bridge over Larimer Canal No. 2
• Installing new medians and a new signal system
• Updating the landscaping and urban design of the area

The full intersection project’s completion date is listed as early November.

According to a 2011 study by the City Engineering Department, the Horsetooth Road and College Avenue intersection is one of the locations most in need of safety and operational improvements.

Identified problems include heavy congestion during peak traffic periods and a high number of left turn crashes.

The city was able to land two federal grants for the design and construction of the project with additional funds appropriated as part of the 2017-2018 City Budgeting for Outcomes process.

Drivers, beware: Horsetooth is closed east of College starting Monday, June 18. And remember, there will also be no left turns in any direction at the light.

More at: https://t.co/WaA6g78UAh pic.twitter.com/T0URSC4PkZ

— City of Fort Collins (@fortcollinsgov) June 15, 2018

To sign up for project updates and additional information, visit the City website.

Collegian reporter Samantha Ye can be reached at news@collegian.com or on Twitter @samxye4.