How road closures are impacting local businesses
The storm that The First Alert Weather Team has been tracking has already made an impact on valley roads.
East Vista Chino Road, Gene Autry Trail and North Indian Canyon Drive are all familiar thoroughfares that closed due to low-visibility caused by blowing dust and sand on Monday. These roads have all closed again due flooding from the rain and mountain runoff.
These roads serve as major arteries and are imperative for local businesses that depend on fluid through traffic.
A rainy day at the Sosas Plaza in Palm Springs means business at Fiesta Market and Liquor slows down to a trickle.
Andy Salhab, who has been managing the store for three years, said that they normally see 300 to 400 customers a day. However, during inclement weather, which inevitably leads to road closures, Salhab says their store only sees a little over one hundred customers.
"This happens now it's every week because last week there was more closure the week before. That's really affected us so bad because we're losing customers and we're losing money," Salhab said.
Salhab wants the city to come up with a solution for businesses that are cut off from through traffic when major roads like East Vista Chino and Gene Autry close.
“It's a good idea to close the roads to get everybody safe, but it's affecting us so bad. So we need solution that keep everybody safe, but gives small business running, too. So I would think like I said, a bridge. either one or both of us would be the best idea," said Salhab said.
News Channel 3 spoke with the Palm Springs Public Works Director, David McAbee, on Monday, about the progress of bridge construction. McAbee said that the city is in the process of speaking with the state and federal government about plans for bridge construction but they could not provide a timeline for a project at this time.