Avenue 48 Widening Project scheduled to begin early summer
A half-mile segment of Avenue 48 from Van Buren Street to Dillon Road, will go from two lanes to four lanes and get a sidewalk and bike lane, the office of Supervisor V. Manuel Perez announced today.
The project was scheduled to begin early this summer after the Coachella and Stagecoach festivals and will span portions of Coachella, Indio and the unincorporated community of Carver Tract.
The office of the supervisor also announced that the project will get Avenue 48 ready for the Arts and Music Line, an upcoming project that will transform the entire corridor with nearly 10 miles of walking and biking facilities and local art. The corridor will be an active transportation path connecting the cities of La Quinta, Indio, Coachella and Carver Tract.
On Tuesday, the Riverside County Board of Supervisors awarded the construction contract for the Avenue 48 widening project to Granite Construction Company of Indio.
"Widening Avenue 48 is a very important effort for the community of Carver Tract, the residential communities in Coachella and Indio and the Coachella Valley as a whole,'' said Perez.
"It is important for improving traffic, promoting opportunities to bike or walk with safe paths of travel, improving air quality and reducing greenhouse gases, and important to our growing economic development and tourism efforts,'' Perez added.
The office of the supervisor said work will be phased to keep the road open during construction as much as possible and predicted approximately four months for the work to be complete.
"This transportation project is major for the city of Coachella,'' said Coachella Mayor Steven Hernandez.
"It sets the stage for huge improvements and investment that will transform Avenue 48 by making it pedestrian friendly. We look forward to this project getting started after the festival season and the Arts and Music Line to come in next,'' Hernandez added.
The total cost of the project was said to be over $4.5 million, which was funded by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Riverside County, the cities of Coachella and Indio and Valley Sanitary District funds.
"As we witness not only the city of Indio's continued growth but the greater Coachella Valley, it's essential that we ensure our infrastructure keeps pace with this progress,'' said city of Indio Mayor Lupe Ramos Amith.
"The widening of Avenue 48 is a testament to the commitment of enhancing the quality of life for both residents and visitors alike and we are very appreciative of the work of the Riverside County Board of Supervisors and Supervisor V. Manuel Perez for their continued support on these important projects,'' Amith added.
More information regarding the project was available at rcprojects.org/ave48.
