Bridge Construction Good News For Drivers, Workers

The city of La Quinta’s plan to build a bridge extending Adams Street over the Whitewater Wash couldn’t have come at a better time for both motorists and construction workers.

“It was about a year long to design a bridge of this size,” said Public Works Director Tim Jonasson. “It takes four to five years to put it all together.”

The four-lane bridge designed to carry motorists over an area known for winter flooding in the desert will also include sidewalks and bike lanes.

Designers estimated the cost of the new bridge at $13 million. The Federal Highway Administration is funding 88 percent of it. The city and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments will pay the remaining balance.

“I know there’s some controversy [about] people saying, ‘Why are you spending so much money on a bridge when it doesn’t rain much here in the valley?'” said Mayor Pro-Tem Linda Evans. “We know what happens when it does rain, and we’ve seen what’s happened across the country.”

Construction crews will first build the western half of the bridge. It will take 18 months to finish the entire project.

That’s good news for Palm Springs resident Alexe Pappageorge, who was out of a job for eight months.

“By the grace of God, my union called. They offered me this job,” he said. “I got 400 days of work days of employment here.”

During construction two lanes will remain open at all times.

City crews will try to get as much done during the summer while students at nearby La Quinta High School are out for summer break.