News from: The City of Indio

The City of Indio’s Public Works Department wrapped up several major capital improvement projects early this summer in an effort to further improve safety and mobility of people throughout the city.

A center two-way left turn lane, on-street parking and striped bike lanes were added to Avenue 44, along with laying new slurry seal between Monroe Street and Palo Verde Street.  This project was intended to extend the life of the pavement, reduce traffic fatalities and serious injuries, and achieve a new level of safety for drivers and cyclists. In addition, a pedestrian mid-block crossing was added along Avenue 44 at King Street with a new crosswalk, curb ramps and a flashing beacon. The Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program funded 90 percent of the construction cost for this project.

Public Works also replaced 21 pedestrian countdown signals throughout Indio. Countdown signals let pedestrians know how many seconds remain to cross the street. Studies have shown that countdown signals reduce the number of stragglers in the street when the signal changes. This project was fully funded by a Federal Highway Safety Improvement Program Grant.

On Indio Boulevard between Jefferson and Madison Streets, SB 1 funds paid for a new striping pattern on freshly paved asphalt.  This project also included buffered bike lanes in both directions.

The final, less visible project Public Works completed so far this year involved seismically retrofitting the Jackson Street Bridge over the Coachella Valley Storm Water Channel.  The Federal Highway Bridge Program and State Proposition 1B funds paid for 100 percent of the $2,781,977 in construction costs for the project, as a means to replace or rehabilitate public highway bridges over waterways and other topographical barriers, such as the storm channel.

“It is vital to the city’s infrastructure to continually improve the roads and bridges throughout the City,” said Public Works Director Tim Wassil. “Road construction can be an inconvenience, however, the goal of each of these projects is to improve the safety and stability of Indio’s roadways, and these capital improvement projects demonstrate our tax dollars hard at work.”