Residents Welcome Clinton St. Construction

Here’s the skinny on Clinton Street: it’s going to become wider.

Construction crews prepped the street Monday for the mega project that is expected to last throughout summer. Some residents applaud the renovation.

“We do have three schools: Indio Middle School, JFK Elementary and Lyndon B. Johnson,” explained Emily Bonette, whose church is located at the corner of Clinton and Miles Ave. “If you’re here at 2:00 p.m,, it’s a mess! You can’t get through.”

Other residents say Clinton does not have enough lanes to ease the traffic congestion during the school year. After the facelift, the street will have four lanes — two in each direction.

One driver says he hopes the expansion reduces accidents. “How many times have we seen the tow truck there towing away cars?” said Juan Cedeno. “It’s because people get impatient with the school. Traffic gets backed up when people are dropping off their kids.”

The project’s first three weeks involves installing utilities underground. Then, the street will eventually be widened.

John Eide, another church member, says he has been looking forward to this project for three years already. “Of course, with the budget restraints, it was held back,” he said. “But, thank the lord it’s going to start right now.”

The county plans to finish the entire project by August 28 before school starts.

The construction may cause some traffic headaches. But for residents and businesses located along Clinton, it is a blessing in disguise in the long run.