Construction on Cook Street slows traffic, local business

The on-going construction on Cook Street in Palm Desert continues to present major roadblocks for commuters, especially those who live in the area.

“It’s not a normal flow of traffic, so you’ve always got a tie-up no matter what time of day,” said Dean Thompson, who lives in an apartment complex on Cook.

Thompson says us the constant re-routing of traffic flow has him unsure how to get home on any given night.

“We went from one lane on the right side of the road to one lane on the other said and it was overnight. We were turning in one morning and the next morning we weren’t allowed to make that turn anymore,” Thompson said.

But that’s nothing, he says, compared to the noise starting at 6 a.m.

“The roughest parts have been they start really early in the morning, so there’ll be times they’re putting in the heavy sheets of metal and I’ve had things vibrate off the counter,” Thompson said.

The counters of local businesses are also affected. Tables sit vacant during what used to be busy hours.

“It’s really, really slow because people don’t want to stop by. We have lost a lot of customers,” said Alvaro Diaz, head cook at Alkobar.

The Coachella Valley Water District, responsible for the pipe replacement, says the project is on schedule to finish mid-April. It offered a public apology to drivers and businesses:

“We apologize for the inconvenience. Because it’s such an important part of the infrastructure, it had to be done as quickly as possible, it couldn’t be postponed,” said Robert Keeran, multimedia specialist at the CVWD.

The agency said without this crucial pipeline, the area is left without a sewer.

“This is taking all the flows out of your homes to our plant, and we clean it up and that’s what waters some 16 golf courses, HOAs and Palm Desert High School receives recycled water,” Keeran said.