New EV chargers installed at Cactus City Rest Stop as part of larger I-10 improvement project

CACTUS CITY, Calif. (KESQ) – Improvements to the I-10 aimed at improving safety and connecting electric vehicle drivers to the grid are nearing completion.

The I-10 Desert Rehab Project began in 2022 with an estimated completion time of three and a half years. According to project leaders, the project will be substantially completed in late July. The rest stop is expected to reopen in the coming weeks.

"The I-10 Desert Rehab Project is essentially a paving project at heart. It's a rehabilitation paving project of 13 miles, both eastbound and westbound the I-10 east of Dillon Road," Thomas Reese, the project manager, said.

Reese also highlighted the addition of a climbing lane for eastbound freight traffic, which he said improves safety for both truck drivers and the general public by separating the two.

Eight new electric vehicle charging stations have also been installed in both directions of the Cactus City Rest Stop, just east of Indio. Four chargers will be available on each side when the rest stop reopens.

"The installation of chargers in more rural parts of the state or in stretches in between some of these destinations will help kind of bridge that gap," Reese said of the new installations.

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