Wind issues and road closures are causing some residents to call for a bridge
Local residents are calling for the valley's cities to work together to devise a plan to resolve the dust issue and all of the road closures. News Channel 3 reported in previous coverage that The California Transportation Commission has awarded $50 million for Addressing Climate Change, Emergencies, and Sandstorms Project on Indian Canyon.
Even though bridges take time to build, residents hope that money will be allocated for projects of this magnitude sooner rather than later. A local shared with News Channel 3 that they have driven throughout the valley and have seen piles and piles of sand mountains. He described it as the wind picking up the dust. He catches the dust floating in the air. Soon after, city officials notify residents that roads were being shut down.
We have often covered the area where drivers must use Roman Road, which becomes a parking lot. Some residents share with us that if a person is hurt or needs medical attention, it's a traffic jam for them to get from Cathedral City to the closest hospital in Palm Springs.
Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia: “We are grateful to see unprecedented state investments continue to support our community’s urgent infrastructure needs. This $50 million grant will vastly improve public safety, safeguards during storms, and roadway connectivity. We applaud CVAG and the City of Palm Springs for their leadership and commitment to work collaboratively as one, united Coachella Valley region.”
Some residents shared that they thought a bridge would be built on Visto Chino years ago. They continued by saying that Indian Canyon is a huge issue now, and a bridge has become a priority since Desert Hot Springs residents have limited access in and out of their city.
They believe that Tropical Storm Hilary has exacerbated the dust issues, and it is not up to one city to solve the problem; it will take the entire Coachella Valley. He shares that he is worried about children's respiratory health, elders in the community, and the impacts the dust closures have on transportation.
