Congressman Ken Calvert met with officials from Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and CVAG on Sept. 7 to discuss Tropical Storm Hilary damages to Indian Canyon Drive and strategies to reopen.
"I joined officials from Palm Springs, Desert Hot Springs, Cathedral City and CVAG earlier to inspect damage from Tropical Storm Hilary at Indian Canyon Road and discuss how to fund improvements that will keep vital transportation corridors open," Calvert said in a post. "The closure of Indian Canyon Road impacts critical access to Desert Regional Medical Center, Palm Springs Airport and 29 Palms Marine Corps base."
"Once a federal disaster declaration is requested and approved, we need funding to reopen the road as soon as possible," he said. "Long term, I'll be working with local officials as well as our state and federal partners to make significant upgrades that protect the road from future flooding in addition to blow sand closures."
The Palm Springs City Government thanked Calvert for his help.
"We thank Congressman Calvert for taking the time to view the destruction from the recent tropical storm — and for pledging to assist Palm Springs and Coachella Valley with obtaining the needed millions of dollars in state and federal funding," Palm Springs City Government said. "The City of Palm Springs understands frequent weather-related road closures are incredibly frustrating for our residents and visitors. This more than two-decade-long dilemma is unacceptable — and your city is taking every step possible to address bridging these gateway arteries. The time is now."
The City of Palm Springs announced via news conference on Aug. 24 that Indian Canyon Drive was "completely decimated." During the conference, city officials stated it could take up to two months to reopen the roadway to the public. However, an application has been submitted to Gov. Gavin Newsom to receive funding for a new bridge — a project that local leaders have worked on for years.
The City of Palm Springs requested $50 million in funding from the governor. The total cost for the road's restoration is projected at $74 million, the remainder of which will be covered by the CVAG and other local agencies.
Back in July, CVAG filed an application with the California Transportation Commission's Local Transportation Climate Adaptation Program for the development of two bridges along the Whitewater River at specific crossings. This initiative, known as the "Addressing Climate Change, Emergencies and Sand Storms (ACCESS) project," includes the construction of a solar-shaded active transportation pathway that would link Desert Hot Springs to CV Link, a 40-mile route designed for bicyclists, pedestrians and low-speed electric vehicles. Additionally, the project incorporates wildlife underpasses aimed at preserving the habitat for endangered and threatened species.