Business owner pushes back on bridge project timeline, citing risk to local economy

One local business owner is calling on city officials to delay and shorten a South Palm Canyon Bridge construction project, warning it could drive several small businesses — including his own — out of operation if it proceeds as planned.

Bob Smiland, owner of Desert Hand Car Wash, says his business relies entirely on South Palm Canyon Drive for customer access and has no alternate entry point. At meetings and in correspondence with city staff and the public relations firm handling communications for the project, Smiland said the project’s current schedule could cut his revenue by half or more, jeopardizing his investment of millions of dollars and the livelihoods of his 18 employees.

“It’s only 97 feet,” Smiland said of the bridge to the south of his business. “And yet this project is five times more expensive than others nearby and will disrupt access for nearly two years.”

Smiland noted the city delayed the start of some portions of the project from April to May following community concerns but said the change does little to help businesses end their season strong. 

He proposed a new start date of June 15 and outlined three specific ways to shorten the overall construction timeline: eliminate or reduce the 90-day landscaping period, allow weekend work, and incentivize the contractor, Riverside Construction, to minimize delays and inspection time.

In an email response to Smiland, Andrea Suarez, outreach director for Connect and Company, said the project team understands the concerns and is actively exploring ways to minimize impacts. 

According to Suarez, the 90-day landscaping period will involve only temporary, single-lane closures; union agreements constrain weekend work, though limited Saturday work may be possible; and while the project schedule is already compressed, the team continues working with the contractor to identify safe opportunities for acceleration. 

Suarez also emphasized that the May start date is tied to environmental permitting and federal funding requirements and that any delay could push the project into October and increase both cost and duration.

Smiland said he remains skeptical and frustrated by the lack of specific plans to maintain business access. He said project planners had not finalized traffic detour routes, driveway closures, or safe access points for his customers and suppliers. He also criticized the outreach process, saying communication with local businesses and residents, including nearby HOAs, was minimal and delayed. 

“Their first visit to my car wash was three weeks ago,” he said. “They spoke to my part-time cashier for four minutes and left brochures. That’s not great communication.”

He also questioned the decision to begin construction during peak tourist season. When he asked a city project lead why May had been selected, the official replied that any start date would affect two tourist seasons regardless. 

Smiland disagrees, arguing that a June start combined with a shortened project timeline could limit the impact to a single season.

In the meantime, preliminary work on the South Palm Canyon Bridge continues this week. According to the project team, sidewalk demolition is planned on the western bridge span, with pedestrian access now rerouted to the eastern side. 

Crews are also relocating Frontier utility facilities on the bridge while remaining outside the federally and state-mandated nesting bird protection zones. Environmental mitigation measures are being implemented as required.

Intermittent lane closures will occur through this Friday, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The southbound outside lane of South Palm Canyon Drive will be closed during this period. The western sidewalk will be closed, but the Sunline bus stop will remain open and pedestrian access will be maintained on the eastern side of the bridge.

A formal project update is expected to be released on Wednesday. Suarez confirmed the update will include a press release, a long-term traffic control map, and a mirrored update on the project’s website.

One-on-one meetings with affected business owners are scheduled for April 24 and 25. Smiland said he plans to attend but remains deeply concerned. 

“I’ve never felt more trapped,” he said. “I’m literally scared to death for my business.”

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