For a fee, you can go online and renew registration on vehicle

Are you a major procrastinator? Do you live on the edge financially?

Bob Becker feels your pain -- and he's offering a painkiller.

Becker is manager of El Paso County's Motor Vehicle Department. His employees are the ones who send out the vehicle registration renewals that always seem to come at a tough time of the month. That leads to some last-minute desperation, with folks heading to his offices to pay their registration renewals.

In fact, he said, half the county's vehicle registration renewals are done in person, a major pain for all involved.

Of course, if you don't procrastinate or aren't short of funds, you can always write a check and stick the renewal form in the mail. But for those who are forced to do it the hard way, there is another option. El Paso County motorists can now fire up their computers to renew their vehicle registrations online.

The online renewal is part of a test program by the Colorado Department of Revenue. Users can renew multiple vehicles in one transaction using either a credit card or online check -- for a fee, of course.

Hurry, though. The deal won't last. The state is working on a complete upgrade of its title and registration system, and the online renewal test program will be suspended for anywhere from two months to a year. The changeover was originally scheduled for the fall of 2005, but it's now uncertain when it will happen, Becker said.

There are a few caveats to the new system. Vehicles to be renewed online must meet certain requirements, have current insurance and emissions (if applicable) on file and be within their renewal month or grace period. Certain types of vehicles, such as diesels, and plate types are not eligible. In addition, expired vehicle registrations cannot be renewed online.

There is the cost to consider: For credit card transactions, the administrative processing fee is 2.25 percent of the amount charged plus 75 cents per transaction. If motorists use an e-check, the administrative processing fee is reduced to $1 per transaction.

For more information and to find out if your vehicle is eligible, visit: www.colorado.gov/renewplates.

BRIDGE WORK GETTING DONE

COSMIX construction crews have completed the final "deck pour" for bridges in the North Nevada/Rockrimmon segment of the project to make Interstate 25 a better, happier road.

The concrete recently poured for the northbound Interstate 25 bridge deck over Mark Dabling Boulevard was the last of 12 bridges to be completed in the largest segment of the project.

Construction of bridges in the North Nevada/Rockrimmon segment began in November 2005. The completion of the bridges allows crews to complete concrete paving for I-25 and prepare to switch traffic off of the future frontage roads and onto the interstate, tentatively planned for this summer.

There are 20 bridges throughout the I-25 corridor being built as part of the COSMIX project. The new bridges are reinforced concrete requiring more than 4,000 tons of reinforcing steel and 35,000 cubic yards of concrete.

The I-25 bridges are being overwidened to accommodate the future eight-lane configuration.

The North Nevada/Rockrimmon segment is on schedule to be completed in late 2007.

Your weekly guide to getting there by The Gazette's Bill McKeown.

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