Board OKs contract with firm for preparation of interchange redesign

Riverside County supervisors signed off today on a $1.83 million contract with an Ontario-based firm selected to conduct environmental and engineering studies in preparation for the proposed
reconfiguration of a nearly 50-year-old interchange along Interstate 10 in Indio.

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the Board of Supervisors authorized an agreement with Michael Baker International Inc. for work tied to the I-10/Monroe Street revamp.

Michael Baker was chosen from eight companies that bid to work on the project, which has no set date for construction.

The Coachella Valley Association of Governments and the city of Indio are covering all costs, while the county Transportation & Land Management Agency, in cooperation with Caltrans, is overseeing all preparatory work and will likely handle oversight of construction.

“The interchange is a major access point for existing residential and retail sites,” according to a TLMA statement. “Significant growth and development has taken place in the last 30 years and has resulted in traffic congestion at the interchange … Constructing improvements will address
existing deficiencies, remove the bottleneck and accommodate future growth and development.”

The interchange was erected in 1972.

The construction zone would encompass the space between Jackson Avenue and Jefferson Street and entail redoing exit and entrance ramps, as well as upgrading the Whitewater River bridge, according to the TLMA.

According to the agency, the proposed improvements “will enhance safety and operational efficiency for local, regional and inter-regional travel,” and pedestrian and bicycle paths will be installed as part of the Coachella Valley Link paralleling the Whitewater River.

The link is a recreational corridor for walkers, joggers and bicyclists that, when completed, will connect most Coachella Valley cities along a 40-mile route.