Why Flying Horse's Noise-Wall Question Turns on a Decision Made in 1998

A buyer touring a home near the Powers Boulevard extension in Flying Horse or Northgate this fall can see the bridge girders going up. The answer to the question that matters most for a home beside a future freeway does not exist yet. The City of Colorado Springs expects its traffic noise analysis to be finished sometime in 2027, KKTV reported on Oct. 14.

The rule that governs much of that answer was set in January 1998. That was years before Flying Horse was part of the city and before the first homes there went up. A pending study and a fixed rule both shape what a buyer near the right-of-way is actually agreeing to.

A Date Signed Before Flying Horse Existed

Starting in 1996, the Federal Highway Administration, the Colorado Department of Transportation and the City of Colorado Springs studied about 8.5 miles of Powers Boulevard extension from Woodmen Road to I-25. The study was finished in August 1997. In January 1998, the agencies signed a document finding that no significant impact was expected. According to the City's noise process white paper, the area at the time "mostly consisted of undeveloped or agricultural lands." The 1997 study found no traffic noise impacts in this part of the corridor, so no noise mitigation commitments were made.

That signing set what federal rules call the "date of public knowledge." Under 23 CFR 772.11, federal participation in noise abatement is not considered for undeveloped land that had not been permitted for development by that date. For undeveloped land, the building permit date decides whether land counts as permitted. The definition is in 23 CFR 772.5.

The City applies this directly to Flying Horse. Its project page says any development approved after January 1998 "is subject to the understanding that funding for noise mitigation may not apply." It names developments within Flying Horse as an example. It also notes that Flying Horse was annexed on Oct. 28, 2003, and that Powers Boulevard and its right-of-way were included in every development plan for the area.

The route is not new. Powers Boulevard went into the city's Major Thoroughfare Plan in 1963. What is new is construction. KRDO reported in September that many Flying Horse residents were seeing major construction there for the first time since the first houses were built around 2005.

What the New Study Can Still Do

The 1998 date limits federal participation. It does not stop the City from looking. In 2025, working with FHWA and CDOT, the City began reevaluating environmental impacts for the stretch between Highway 83 and Voyager Parkway, and that review includes a new noise analysis. The study area covers 500 feet from the edge of the future Powers travelway. Inside that buffer, homes, schools, parks and churches count as "noise-sensitive receptors." They are analyzed with 3D modeling that accounts for projected traffic, roadway design, topography and existing structures.

The City's FAQ gives a household-scale example of what triggers a review:

"Imagine your home currently experiencing 56 dB of traffic noise. If future conditions would raise that to 66 dB or higher … that would trigger mitigation review."

The same FAQ adds that a 10 dB increase also counts as an impact, even if the result stays under 66 dB. For comparison, the same page puts normal conversation at about 60 dB.

Even when a home crosses that line, a wall or berm has to clear several more checks. The City lays them out in this order:

1. Impact. Modeled noise reaches 66 dB at a residence, or rises 10 dB over existing levels.
2. Feasibility. The measure cuts noise by at least 5 dB for at least three receptors and has no fatal design or construction flaw, such as safety, topography or drainage.
3. Reasonableness. It cuts noise by at least 7 dB for at least two benefited receptors and meets CDOT's cost-benefit calculation.
4. Agency approval. CDOT and FHWA must approve the proposed solution.
5. A vote. The benefited receptors are surveyed, and the measure moves forward only with majority support.

Under 23 CFR 772.13, once an impact is identified, abatement must be considered, and at a minimum that means a noise barrier. The City describes possible measures as "landscaped berms or other sound-reducing features," depending on local conditions.

The Vote Belongs to the Model's Map

Being inside the 500-foot study area does not give a home a vote. Only the receptors that the computer model shows would benefit from a proposed measure get a survey. The City states that "not all community members within the 500 ft study area would receive a survey." The white paper narrows it further. Only receptors that would get a reduction of 5 dB or more can vote, and the measure fails if 50 percent or less of them support it.

The timing of that vote matters too. CDOT's process makes final abatement decisions during final design, and the City notes that results can change if the design changes. Final engineering was still in progress as of the Gazette's Oct. 13 report. A home bought this winter could be sold again before any survey goes out, and the owner who votes may not be the owner who bought.

The Parts Already Fixed, and the Parts Still Open

Some variables that affect noise are already settled. The City says the road's location and elevation were set in earlier phases based on drainage, safety and topography, and that current and future phases will not change that profile. Powers will be built as an expressway, classified as a freeway, with speed limits set by the design standards for that class. According to KKTV, drivers will see more earthwork later this winter as Powers is built below grade through much of the Flying Horse area.

Other parts of the schedule are still moving:

In September, KRDO reported that some Flying Horse neighbors were concerned about future traffic noise and had asked whether a second noise assessment would follow once the road is finished. In January, KOAA reported that a resident at the bridge open house called noise mitigation the main concern. The City's FAQ answers that a post-construction noise analysis is not anticipated.

The City's reasons for building the road are regional. "Right now in Colorado Springs, our main north-south route is solely I-25," Deputy Public Works Director Gayle Sturdivant told the Gazette. She called the extension a secondary connection that improves access to the airport as the city grows east. The traffic modeling looks ahead to projected 2050 volumes.

For anyone weighing a home near the alignment, the public record already answers a few questions. The study area map in the white paper shows whether a property falls within 500 feet of the future travelway. The City's text alerts, available by texting POWERS to 21000, and its email updates are where findings and closure notices will appear. The Gazette reported that the City will share a summary of the noise findings with the community once the analysis is complete.

A Few Practical Questions

What is happening at the bridges right now? KKTV reported on Oct. 14 that crews had been setting girders for the Flying Horse Club Drive bridge, with girder work at Ridgeline Drive expected to begin the following week. West of Flying Horse Club Drive, preliminary work has begun on a pedestrian bridge connecting to the golf course. A fourth bridge, over Black Squirrel Creek, has not been built yet and will be the largest of the extension, according to KRDO.

Is Ridgeline Drive open? No. Ridgeline Drive is closed between Hawk Stone Drive and Veneto Way and is expected to stay closed throughout bridge construction. Flying Horse Club Drive stays open with one lane in each direction on a temporary configuration.

Is the work near the temple at Flying Horse Club Drive part of the Powers project? No. The City notes that the temple project there is privately managed and not associated with the City's project.

This post is general information about a public project and the federal rule behind it. It is not legal or financial advice, so please confirm how any rule applies to a specific property with the appropriate professional.

If you own near the Powers alignment, or you're considering a home there, TR Real Estate can help you map a property against the study area and keep track of the findings when the City releases them. Let's Connect.