With summer upon us and our winter visitors gone, it is now an opportune time to commence road construction projects. The City Engineering Department has released the following list of projects you can expect to see in Cathedral City over the summer and early fall. It also includes future bridge improvement projects.
• 1. Date Palm Drive and Cathedral Canyon Drive Pavement Rehabilitation. CIP 8837.
This project will rehabilitate the pavement on Date Palm Drive and Cathedral Canyon Drive between East Palm Canyon Drive and Perez Road. The project will be advertised for bid on June 17th and bids will be opened on July 14th. The award package will be presented for Council action on August 10th and construction is estimated to start after Labor Day. The construction period is estimated to be twenty working days. This project is funded by Measure A and Gas Tax revenues.
• 2. Avenida La Paz and Avenida La Vista Pavement Rehabilitation. CIP 8655.
This project will rehabilitate the pavement on Avenida La Paz and Avenida La Vista between 30th Avenue and Vista Chino. FY 2016-2017 CDBG funds will be used, along with AB 88-3 funds to construct the project. Because the FY 16-17 CDBG funds will not be available until August or September, the project will likely be presented to Council for award in late September. Staff will advertise the project for bid in July and open bids in August, so it can be awarded once the CDBG funds are allocated to the City.
• 3. Cathedral City Whitewater Bike Path. CIP 7014 and 7015.
Final design on this project will be competed on June 12th. The project will be advertised for construction on July 10th and bids opened on August 9th. Because the project will be partially funded with AQMD mitigation funds through CVAG, the award package will be presented to Council at the September 28th meeting. Construction is anticipated to start on October 18th and ribbon cutting is preliminarily scheduled for February 24, 2017.
• 4. San Joaquin Drive Sidewalks. CIP 2517.
The construction contract will be awarded on June 8th and construction is expected to start after July 4th. Construction time is 20 working days and construction will be complete around August 5th.
• 5. Vista Chino East, CIP 8659 and Vista Chino West, CIP 8660.
These projects will rehabilitate the pavement on Vista Chino from the west City Limits at the Whitewater River to Date Palm Drive. A second feature of the projects will be the proposed construction of raised medians throughout the corridor. Staff is currently scheduled to meet with the residents that may be impacted by this construction on June 14th. The proposed improvements will be presented and written comments and questions will be solicited. Council authorized the award of the design contract to Albert A. Webb Associates at the May 25, 2016 meeting. Staff is currently working with Webb on design details. The project is scheduled for bid in late August and construction will be complete by Thanksgiving.
• 6. ADA Ramp Improvements. CIP 8946.
This project will reconstruct existing, deficient sidewalk access ramps on those portions of Vista Chino, 30th Avenue and McCallum Way that are in low-mod income areas recognized by HUD. CDBG funds will be used to construct these improvements. The project will be advertised in June with bids opened in July. The award package will be presented to Council for approval at the August 10th meeting.
• 7. Date Palm Drive Bridge Widening. CIP 8914
The design phase of the project is complete and signed construction documents are ready for bidding. The right of way phase will be completed by June 17th and a Request for Authorization (RFA) to construct will be submitted to Caltrans by June 24th. While construction funding is guaranteed for FY 2016-2017, and our June RFA will request early funding this fiscal year, there are no guarantees that Caltrans will be able to extend funding this year. If funding is available, the project could be advertised in October or November and construction could start in early 2017. If funding is not available this year, the project will be advertised in early 2017 and construction would begin late spring 2017. Construction is estimated to take thirteen to sixteen months.
• 8. Cathedral Canyon Drive Bridge. CIP 8919.
Staff has received and is currently reviewing the 100% design drawings. The right of way phase of the project is currently underway and lengthy negotiations with the BIA on tribal land and with the Cathedral Canyon Homeowners Association have extended completion of this phase into late summer. The project is scheduled for funding through Caltrans in FY 16-17 and construction is anticipated in late 2017.
• 9. Ramon Road Bridge. CIP 2500.
This project is being managed by the City of Palm Springs and will widen the bridge and Ramon Road from the bridge to San Luis Rey to six lanes. The design is currently at the 60% completion stage. Completion of design and right of way acquisition is anticipated in late 2017 with construction starting in 2018 and completion in 2019. The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has agreed to fund the City’s $2.15 million share of the construction under the Tribal Transportation Program.
For more information as well as more specific details about these and other projects, please check our website, www.CathedralCity.gov. The website will offer status updates and any impacts to the motoring public. Please remember that with any construction project and the potential for correlating delays, it is advisable to keep your car’s air conditioning tuned-up as it tends to help with patience. Be mindful of the cone zones and help keep our public works’ employees safe so they too can go home after a hot workday, safe to their families.
