Race Track Possible Cemetery Site

By Peter Roper, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

Apr. 12–Pueblo and Colorado Springs officials are looking at the current site of the former Pikes Peak International Raceway as a possible location for a future national veterans cemetery.

Colorado senators, Republican Wayne Allard and Democrat Ken Salazar, along with Reps. John Salazar, D-Manassa, and Joel Hefley, R-Colorado Springs, have introduced legislation in Congress to establish a veterans cemetery in the Pikes Peak region.

The delegation wants a veterans cemetery in this region, rather than require families to bury veterans in Fort Logan in Denver or Fort Lyon near Las Animas.

At the Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce Military Task Force meeting Tuesday, the discussion touched on the future location of any cemetery and officials said City Councilor Jeff Chostner and Colorado Springs officials were investigating whether the former PPIR site was a possibility. The racetrack next to Interstate 25 has been closed and sold.

On other issues, the task force restated its commitment to helping Fort Carson obtain the $50 million that is needed to expand and improve the Gate 20 intersection of Colorado 16 and I-25.

Chamber President Rod Slyhoff said the local chamber is collaborating with a working group of Colorado Springs and Fountain officials to make the Gate 20 project a regional priority for the Colorado Department of Transportation.

The Army wants to expand the highway leading into Fort Carson at Fountain and reinforce the highway bridges there to accommodate the weight of heavy military equipment. The project is on the CDOT priority list but no money has been appropriated to it yet.

Fort Carson officials have said that improving Gate 20 is their top priority as part of the plan to expand the Mountain Post over the next two year.

Reinforcing that message, Lt. Col. Dave Johnson, chief of public affairs for Fort Carson, told the task force that Allard will be visiting Fort Carson next Monday to look at the gate problem. The senator will be the latest member of the state’s congressional delegation to tour the site.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The Pueblo Chieftain, Colo.

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