Rough Road: Drivers raise safety concerns

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) - Drivers along Ramon Road say years of potholes and broken pavement are making one of the Coachella Valley’s busiest corridors increasingly dangerous — and now, after months of complaints, Palm Springs city officials are responding.

The troubled stretch runs along Ramon Road between Lawrence Crossley Road and Landau Boulevard, which divides the city of Palm Springs and Cathedral City.

“There’s a lot of shaking, bumpiness,” said Redd Aimes, manager of Devon Self Storage, whose business sits along the roadway. “The road conditions are horrible. You can literally see the potholes and divots.”

Residents and commuters say the deteriorating pavement has been a problem for years, with many frustrated by what they see as little to no progress.

“I’ve even had a rider tell me, ‘Wow, this street is really messed up,’” one driver said. “My car sounds like a jet when I’m driving because the road is so rough.”

Another local driver added, “Every day we pass over here to come to this shopping center and it’s rough. You see the car just jumping and everything.”

Business owners say the hazards go beyond an uncomfortable ride. Aimes said loose gravel and damaged pavement can create dangerous driving conditions near entrances and exits.

“Trying to get out is sometimes hard because there’s no traction due to the gravel from the road,” he said. “Personally I clean this up so we can leave safely. I can sit in my office and watch 10 accidents that might happen and see one or two a day."

Local mechanics warn rough roads can lead to costly vehicle damage.

“There’s a lot of ways to damage your car,” one mechanic explained. “You can damage your front-end suspension, shocks, and tires.”

After weeks of requesting interviews and pressing city officials for answers, Joel Montalvo, Palm Springs City Engineer, acknowledged the roadway needs repairs.

“I would say I agree that the condition of the road requires repaving,” Montalvo said.

According to the city, the repairs are tied to the long-planned Ramon Road Bridge Project — a major infrastructure effort that would widen the existing four-lane bridge to six lanes while repaving surrounding roadway sections.

City officials say the project has been in development since 2008 and involves coordination between Palm Springs and Cathedral City.

“Because we’re doing a massive project with the widening of the Ramon Road bridge, we combined it with repaving,” Montalvo said. “What we don’t want to do is repave the street and come back and tear it up.”

When asked why the process has taken nearly two decades, Montalvo said federally funded bridge projects often require years of planning before construction can begin.

The city says temporary fixes have mainly involved patching potholes and damaged sections as needed, rather than fully resurfacing the road.

Still, many drivers say the timeline is unacceptable.

“I’ve lived here 10 years now and I’ve never seen anybody doing any kind of work,” one resident said. “Way overdue.”

Others remain skeptical promises will finally lead to action.

“They say the same thing and then it’s still the same bridge and same bumping every day,” another driver said.

Palm Springs officials say the goal is for construction to begin in late 2026 or early 2027. The Palm Springs City Council is expected to discuss the project next week or at its June 10 meeting.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more.