Community Outreach and Business Engagement Efforts Launch Early June
The City of Palm Springs, in partnership with the City of Cathedral City and the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, announced that construction on the Ramon Road Bridge Project over the Whitewater River is officially scheduled to begin this fall.
The highly anticipated two-year infrastructure project will significantly improve traffic flow, increase public safety, and enhance connectivity along one of the Coachella Valley’s busiest transportation corridors. The current bridge, originally constructed decades ago, no longer meets modern seismic standards and experiences heavy congestion during peak travel hours.
Serving more than 40,000 vehicles daily, Ramon Road is a critical east-west corridor connecting residents, businesses, visitors, and travelers to key destinations including the Palm Springs International Airport. The project area spans from San Luis Rey Drive to Candlewood Drive and serves as the gateway between the cities of Palm Springs and Cathedral City.
“The Ramon Road Bridge Project is a major investment in the long-term safety, mobility and economic sustainability of the region,” said Palm Springs Mayor Naomi Soto. “We thank nearby residents, business owners, and commuters for their patience as we widen the corridor.”
To prepare the community ahead of construction, project outreach and engagement efforts will begin in early June. Outreach staff will visit businesses along the Ramon Road corridor to distribute project fact sheets, business cards and information about how businesses can participate in the project’s “Business is Open During Construction” campaign.
In addition to business outreach, the project team will meet with homeowners associations, neighborhood groups, civic and business organizations, tourism and hospitality groups, and other community partners throughout the summer to share project information and answer questions.
Community meetings, including two in-person meetings and one virtual meeting, are planned for the fall prior to the start of construction. The meetings will provide updates on the project timeline, anticipated traffic impacts, construction phasing, safety information and opportunities for public feedback.
The Ramon Road Bridge Project will deliver several improvements and benefits to the community, including:
- Eliminating the Bottleneck:
- Widens the existing bridge from four lanes to six lanes
- Shortens wait times with new dedicated turn lanes
- Increasing Public Safety:
- Seismic retrofitting to withstand major earthquake activity
- Flood resilience to enhance stability during storms
- Enhancing Connectivity:
- New sidewalk and protected bicycle lanes
- Connection to CV Link and other trails across the wash
The project will also repave and restripe the roadway and add new drainage, curbs, gutters, driveways, landscaping, and special architectural features on the bridge railing to emphasize the gateway aspect between cities.
To minimize the impact on commuters, the project will maintain two lanes of traffic in each direction, optimize signal timing, and keep business driveways accessible during construction. The Cities of Palm Springs and Cathedral City are committed to minimizing disruptions throughout construction and engaging with the community throughout every phase of the project.
The Ramon Road Bridge Project is anticipated to be complete in December 2028.
Community members and businesses are encouraged to sign up for project updates, construction alerts and engagement opportunities by visiting the project website at www.ramonroadbridgeproject.com.
For questions or outreach requests, contact the project hotline at 760-933-9944 or email info@ramonroadbridgeproject.com.
