Project History

The Reverend Milton E. Proby moved to Colorado Springs in 1958. He championed the cause of civil rights and equality as the pastor for St. John’s Baptist Church on Prospect Street. After years of dedication to challenging injustice and helping the poor and hungry, Milton E. Proby earned the honor of “Living Legend” from the NAACP in 2003. In January 2006, Colorado Springs City Council voted unanimously to honor Reverend Proby by naming the gateway to the Colorado Springs Airport after him. The expressway between Academy Boulevard and Powers Boulevard is now known as Milton E. Proby Parkway. Also in January 2006, the El Pomar Foundation and its Emerging Leadership Development Program dedicated the Milton E. Proby Cultural Heritage Room at the Penrose House.

Why Are We Building the Milton E. Proby Parkway?

Those who live near Drennan Road, plus commuters who regularly drive the stretch, know that traffic congestion has become a problem. With projected growth in Colorado Springs, this would significantly increase to the point of gridlock in the near future. In fact, traffic projections on Drennan Road show an increase from around 12,000 vehicles per day in 2006 to more than 50,000 in 2030! Clearly a solution had to be found to protect neighborhoods in the area as well as make east-west travel and access to the airport possible now and into the future.

Engineers looked at the possibility of only widening Drennan Road as a solution, but studies showed this alternative had problems. A widened Drennan Road still couldn’t accommodate the expected increase of traffic in this area. Getting in and out of neighborhoods using Drennan Road would be all but impossible. It would also create high levels of noise deep into the neighborhoods along the road.

Once widening Drennan Road was ruled out, engineers looked for a workable solution. The result is the Milton E. Proby Parkway. This new roadway will move through traffic from existing Drennan Road onto the new expressway. This will make Drennan Road more of a neighborhood street while also creating a high-speed link between the airport, I-25 and downtown Colorado Springs.