News from: The City of Cathedral City

Date Palm Drive

Date Palm Drive is the City’s main north-south regional Arterial Highway that runs north/south from Varner Road to East Palm Canyon Drive crossing other regional roadways, such as Interstate 10, Vista Chino, Ramon Road, Dinah Shore Drive, Gerald Ford Drive, and East Palm Canyon Drive. Date Palm Drive carries more than 29,000 vehicles per day along its route between Interstate 10 and the downtown corridor and over 9,000 vehicles per day between Interstate 10 and Varner Road.

Date Palm Drive from Interstate 10 to Varner Road is considered Segment 1 of the Varner Road Interstate 10 Bypass Route shown below. Along this section of roadway, the city and the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) are working to complete the last phase (Phase 3) for the full build-out of Date Palm Drive from Varner Road to Interstate 10. Phases 1 and 2 had already been completed with the design and construction of the 2-lane roadway that is out there today.

VARNER ROAD INTERSTATE 10 BYPASS ROUTE

Phase 3 will complete this important regional roadway project with 6 lanes for vehicle travel (3 in each direction), median, curb and gutter, sidewalks, bicycle lanes, and a traffic signal at the intersection of Date Palm Drive and Varner Road. Phase 3 is currently in the design, environmental, and right-of-way phases. Included in the design of the roadway is an improved culvert crossing over the Long Canyon Wash Channel near the intersection of Date Palm Drive and Varner Road. Riverside County Flood Control District (RCFCD) has stepped in and committed to participating in funding the construction improvements needed for the Long Canyon Wash crossing under the proposed expanded roadway. Both the City and CVAG have agreed to fund the construction of Phase 3 of this roadway when the design and clearances are completed. Construction should begin in mid-2025.

Varner Road

Varner Road is the city’s northernmost regional Arterial Highway that runs west to east (city limit to city limit) connecting Date Palm Drive to Bob Hope Drive, respectively. In the middle it connects to the northern terminus of Date Palm Drive and in the future will connect to the northern terminus of DaVall Drive. Varner Road carries up to 16,000 vehicles per day along its long meandering route connecting Cathedral City to Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Thousand Palms, and other down valley cities. Varner Road is also the backbone of the Varner Road Interstate 10 Bypass Route.

Varner Road is divided into specific Segments in conjunction with the Varner Road Interstate 10 Bypass Route plan. The aforementioned Segment 1 is designated as Date Palm Drive from Interstate 10 to Varner Road, the remaining segments are:

Segment 2a: Varner Road from Date Palm Drive to Edom Hill Road.

Segment 2b: Varner Road from Date Palm Drive to Mountain View Drive.

Segment 3: Varner Road from Mountain View Drive to Palm Drive.

Segment 4: Varner Road from Date Palm Drive to Bob Hope Drive.

The map below shows the Segments of the Varner Road Interstate 10 Bypass Route.

VARNER ROAD INTERSTATE 10 BYPASS ROUTE

Segments 1, 2a, 2b, 3 and 4

This past November 2023, the City and CVAG entered a cooperative agreement to engage a consulting engineering firm to complete the full roadway design for the Varner Road Segments 2a, 2b, and 3 at a cost of just under $2.4 million as shown below. This full design effort will be completed in late 2025 and will include plans for a 4-lane roadway from Palm Drive to Mountain View Drive and a 6-lane roadway from Mountain View Drive to Date Palm Drive. The design will include traffic signal modifications at the intersection of Palm Drive and Varner Road and new traffic signal plans for the Varner Road intersections at Mountain View Drive and Edom Hill Road. Plans will also include medians, curbs and gutters, sidewalks, and muti-use paths (pedestrian and bicycle paths). Lastly, plans will include phasing options to construct the project in phases as funding is secured.

VARNER ROAD INTERSTATE 10 BYPASS ROUTE

Segments 2a, 2b and 3

Currently, the project is in the data collection phase with right of way, utilities, hydrology, and environmental components being identified and assessed. A project of this size will take time to completely design, acquire right of way, and receive the necessary environmental clearances. The preliminary construction cost estimate for Segments 2a, 2b, and 3 combined is currently estimated at over $30 million. RCFCD is again participating in the construction of the project in the amount of just under $2.0 million for improving under-roadway wash crossings along the roadway route.

The goal for completing the design of this project is to have, when completed, a “shovel-ready project,” that will avail the more favorable reviews and scoring as we apply for federal or state grants for construction funding. (This method has proven successful in past city grant efforts).

City staff continues to lobby our representatives to secure funding for the construction of all or portions of the Varner Road Segments cited above. We have regular meetings with State Assemblymember Wallis and Congressmember Ruiz’s offices on this project. Both have provided positive support and have assigned staff members to actively participate in the Varner Road Task Force that was formed to get this roadway constructed, from end to end.

We have spoken to Congressmember Calvert’s office regarding this vital roadway section and received additional positive support.

Finally, we have also met with Senator Butler’s staff regarding the regional significance of this roadway section. As a result of those meetings, the Senator, in June, forwarded our request for construction funding to the Senate Appropriations Committee for review in this upcoming fiscal year 2025 Congressional Directed Spending budget cycle. This is the most advanced support for the project funding we have received to date.

You also can help. We need your continued support to get the construction of this regionally significant roadway project funded. Your voice to your legislative representatives regarding Varner Road and its utilization as the Varner Road Interstate 10 Bypass Route and the need for its all-weather reconstruction is important. Your communication, whether emails, letters, and/or even phone calls to your representatives makes the difference. For your convenience, I have included the names and contact information of our local representatives who need to hear from you below. They already know about the Varner Road Project; you just need to reassure them that you do too.

Assemblymember Greg Wallis

Portions of Riverside and San Bernardino Counties

(760) 346-6342

https://lcmspubcontact.lc.ca.gov/PublicLCMS/ContactPopup.php?district=AD47&inframe=N

Congressman Raul Ruiz

Indio District office (760) 424-8888

https://ruiz.house.gov/address_authentication?form=/contact/email

Congressman Ken Calvert

Palm Desert Office (760) 620-0041

https://calvert.house.gov/zip_authentication?form=/contact/email-me

Senator Laphonza Butler

Los Angeles Office – (310) 914-7300