Palm Springs official on Indian Canyon funds: 'It is so critical that we get this bridge completed'

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Palm Springs Councilmember Lisa Middleton supports climate-related bridge project. | Palm Springs website

Although extreme weather is often playing havoc with traffic in Palm Springs, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) is fighting back with plans for a bridge project in the area of Indian Canyon Drive.

"It is so critical that we get this bridge completed, most importantly for those folks living north of the freeway for whom this is a link to Desert Regional Medical Center and often to their jobs south of the interstate," Palm Springs Councilmember Lisa Middleton said in a Desert Sun article.

To make this project a reality, CVAG is seeking funds through the California Transportation Commission's Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program, according to the details of a CVAG community survey. The construction will help Palm Springs address road shutdowns commonly associated with flooding and wind-swept sand in the vicinity.

The cost of this bridge project, according to Desert Sun, is projected at $35 million. The total is well within the limits of the California Transportation Commission's $50 million funding threshold, however, local funds would be required nonetheless. The program calls for a 20% match through community funding, the article said.

"This is an immense priority for all of us," Middleton told Desert Sun. "I am thrilled with the united support that this project has received from every city in the Coachella Valley."

According to the CVAG ACCESS survey, plans call for development of a bridge at each end of the North Indian Canyon Drive designed with arch culverts and created to elevate traffic above flood waters and safely circulate sand. Since not all travelers come by car, CVAG is also looking to provide walking and bike paths as well as solar-powered shade features to run the entire corridor.

The community's help is needed, however, for the creation of the safest and most convenient route to best tackle the weather conditions. Toward that end, CVAG is seeking community feedback on traffic patterns and critical travel amenities in the area. Residents of Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs are urged to participate in a survey, which offers every entrant the opportunity to win a $50 gas card. The survey can be found here.