Coachella receives CVAG funding for two bridge projects

The Coachella Valley Association of Governments has allocated over $1 million to the city of Coachella to help it complete two bridge projects, including one for Highway 86, known as “The Killer Highway.”

The money will go toward design and environmental work needed for an overpass at Avenue 50, as well as a bridge on Avenue 50 at the Whitewater River wash.

In fact, the city of Coachella has already lined up nearly $27 million in federal funding for construction of the bridge that will make traveling in the area much safer.

“Whitewater River Bridge is an an area that gets flooded every time we have some significant rain and that seems to be more often than not in the last couple years. It really kills circulation to a main arterial road,” said Eduardo Garcia, the mayor of Coachella.

Once the design and environmental work is finished, it will take a year-and-a-half to complete the Whitewater Bridge.

Meantime, the city of Coachella is still in the process of securing nearly $30 million still needed to build the overpass.