Council Funds Traffic Signal for Mirror Avenue Project

Pueblo City Council approved more than $2 million in traffic improvements at Pueblo Boulevard and Mirror Avenue on the South Side.

Updated on Nov. 12, 2026 in Openings & Closings

Single new steel traffic signal pole with an unlit signal head beside an empty arterial road under open high-plains sky, with a low stucco commercial building in the distance.
Pueblo City Council voted 6-1 on Nov. 9 to appropriate more than $2 million for traffic signals at Pueblo Boulevard and Mirror Avenue, including $250,000 from developer Martinez Property Holdings. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Pueblo City Council voted 6-1 on November 9, 2026 to appropriate more than $2 million for traffic signals and poles at the Pueblo Boulevard and Mirror Avenue intersection. More than $1.7 million comes from the city's half-cent sales tax fund, and Martinez Property Holdings Inc. is contributing $250,000.

Why it matters

Public Works Director Andrew Hayes said current traffic at the intersection already exceeds acceptable levels set by studies, so any added traffic would require the signal. The approval will allow a Chipotle Mexican Grill to open in the area, and developer Derrick Martinez said further development, jobs and tax revenue could follow.

The council appropriated more than $2 million, including over $1.7 million from the half-cent sales tax fund, and awarded a construction contract of more than $1.6 million to C&D Electric Inc., which includes $400,000 in contingencies. The extraction does not specify a construction start date or completion timeline.

The players

Martinez Property Holdings Inc.

A local property company that owns the Chipotle site, a nearby Starbucks and several vacant lots, and is contributing $250,000 toward the signal project.

C&D Electric Inc.

A Colorado Springs-based electrical contractor that will perform the signal installation under a construction contract of more than $1.6 million.

The details

The funding will pay for installation of traffic signals and poles at the Pueblo Boulevard and Mirror Avenue intersection on the South Side. Martinez Property Holdings Inc. owns the Chipotle property, a nearby Starbucks and several vacant lots, and is contributing $250,000 to the project.

Timeline

  1. November 9, 2026: City Council voted 6-1 to approve the traffic light funding.

Local Development Context

The project draws on Pueblo's half-cent sales tax fund, the same local revenue source used for municipal infrastructure, to address traffic capacity that is already beyond acceptable levels at a commercial corridor. It links a public infrastructure expense directly to a private restaurant opening and potential further development.

Residents on the South Side may see a new traffic signal at Pueblo Boulevard and Mirror Avenue once the project is built. The approval also clears the way for a Chipotle Mexican Grill to open nearby, adding a dining option in the area.

The takeaway

Public infrastructure funding can be tied to private development when existing traffic already strains a corridor. Residents who follow city council votes can track when projects like this move from approval to construction.

Further reading

For more on new businesses coming to the area, see Openings & Closings in Pueblo.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Pueblo Chieftain Online.

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Should your city use sales tax money to fund traffic signals for private development?