Cathedral City Interchange Next For I-10 Overhaul

Riverside County supervisors approved a $14.8 million contract on Tuesday with a Lake Forest-based developer to upgrade and expand a Cathedral City interchange where traffic jams are a growing problem.

Serna Construction was selected over a half-dozen competitors to reconfigure the Date Palm Drive/Interstate 10 interchange.

Click here for detailed maps and information on the I-10 Cooridor projects in the Coachella Valley

“We’re stepping out again in a major way to create jobs in Riverside County,” said Supervisor John Benoit, whose Fourth District encompasses Cathedral City. “I’m pleased we’re able to get moving on this very important project.”

According to county Transportation Department Director Juan Perez, roughly 250 people will be needed to work on the interchange.

The project will involve widening the existing freeway overpass from four to six lanes, adding sidewalks and extra-wide shoulders that will double as bike lanes, according to the county Transportation Department.

The existing interchange will be converted from a diamond to a partial cloverleaf pattern to speed up traffic flow.

“This interchange is a gateway into the city of Cathedral City,” Transportation Department officials wrote in a preface to the contract with Serna. “Significant growth in the area has increased traffic beyond the capacity of the interchange, which is now heavily congested during the peak hours of operation.”

Similar interchange improvement projects are underway at I-10 and Indian Canyon Drive in Desert Hot Springs and Palm Drive and Gene Autry Trail near Palm Springs. Perez said two additional projects are in the works.

An entirely new overpass is being constructed at Bob Hope Drive in Rancho Mirage.

A combination of local, state and federal funds will be used to cover the project budget. Construction is slated to start in mid-April.