California commission approves $50 million grant to help build bridges along Indian Canyon Drive at the wash

The California Transportation Commission (CTC) on Thursday approved $50 million to help install bridges over North Indian Canyon Drive at the Whitewater Wash, helping to solve a decades-long transportation weakness that often severed a crucial connection between Palm Springs and the rest of the valley during wind and rain events. 

Funds for the bridge project were awarded to the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) during the second day of a two-day CTC meeting held in Riverside. CVAG officials said it is the largest-ever competitive grant secured for a regional transportation project. It was one of only two projects given the state’s highest priority ranking, and it received the largest single amount of funding out of all 15 in the running for a total of $309 million. 

The money will cover two-thirds of the estimated $75 million needed to build the two prefabricated bridges, with CVAG supplying the rest. In addition to the bridges, the project includes a two-mile solar-shaded walk and bike path lined with sand fencing.

While an exact completion date is hard to predict, CVAG staff estimate the project will be ready to break ground sometime in 2025.

Despite the wait for a solution, CVAG officials noted the importance of the project, pointing to the fact that Indian Canyon Drive was closed 38 times for a total of 85 days days during the first half of this year.

Earlier this week, CVAG staff noted that climate data trends show that unpredictable weather events will become more frequent, with extreme precipitation events projected to occur up to 19 times a year by the end of the century, up from the current average of three times per year.

“We think that these one-off extreme events are happening just one time in 1,000 years,” CVAG Executive Director Tom Kirk told the Commission Thursday. “But they’re happening more often in our community and in all parts of the state.” 

The frequent closures are not just inconvenient; they could lead to life-threatening delays for residents of Desert Hot Springs who need the straightest and quickest path to Desert Regional Hospital.

“This roadway was closed for the first six months of this year 38 times,” Kirk said Thursday. “And 38 times, instead of that ambulance taking 15 minutes to come from a low-income community, it takes three or four times that long.”

That urgent issue was top of mind most recently in August when Tropical Storm Hilary wreaked havoc on Palm Springs and Cathedral City, shutting down roadways with layers of mud for weeks. 

With storm preparations underway, Palm Springs city staff and councilmembers met with Gov. Gavin Newsom in person to seek the bridge funding. They later pleaded for residents to help make the city’s case for the funds.

With the grant money comes a strict timeline imposed on CVAG by the state. Construction contracts must be awarded within six months. 

To adhere to the timeline and get construction started as quickly as possible, CVAG took some preemptive action earlier this week, anticipating the approval of the grant funding. 

In preparation for being awarded the state funds, CVAG officials on Tuesday voted to allow Kirk to immediately begin steps to accept the funding without the need for another meeting. They also added an amendment to an existing contract with an engineering firm for the project’s design, environmental, and engineering services.

With these two items already unanimously approved by CVAG, receiving the money should move quickly.

In a recent staff report on the project, CVAG said its staff will work with member jurisdiction to finalize cost-sharing agreements “based on the standard 75 percent/25 percent funding split.” CVAG officials are also looking for more funding for the project and have submitted two other grant applications — one federal and one regional. 

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