Palm Springs area roads

[skluth]

I'm starting this topic as I didn't see anything regarding roads in the Palm Springs area. I hope to use this to update conditions in the area along with any projects happening. I've only been here for a short time, but there has already been a lot of news regarding Palm Springs area roads. The following roads are still closed after the Valentine's Day deluge.

Tram Way from the visitors center to the tram (Palm Springs) (should open by April 1)
Cathedral Canyon Drive at the Whitewater River (Cathedral City)
Avenue 44 at the Whitewater River (Indio)

Near Idyllwild (not really PS, but it's on the local news)
CA 243 - Mellor Ranch Road to Black Mountain Trail
CA 74 - almost the entire distance from Valle Vista to Mountain Center

Other previously closed road include:
CA 111 at Windy Point (just east of the bridge)
N Indian Canyon Road at Whitewater River
Gene Autry Trail at Whitewater River
Vista Chino at Whitewater River
Ferrell Drive at Tahquitz Creek
El Cielo at Tahquitz Creek
Araby Drive at Araby Wash (opened this week)

[ClassicHasClass]

Wow, didn't realize so many of the roads in the Low Desert were whacked too.

[Mark68]

I've seen pics of what happened with 243. I believe that will be a LONG repair job.

Hadn't heard that 74 up the western slope of the San Jacintos had been washed out too. I remember that road fondly. Spent a good deal of time in my youth at Lake Hemet (and some times at Lake Fulmor near Idyllwild as well).

Have you heard ETAs on any of these (other than Tram Wy & Araby Dr, which you already mentioned)?

[djsekani]

Palm Springs and Cathedral City are always traffic nightmares when it rains. Have there been any updates on a Vista Chino bridge or an expansion of the Ramon Road bridge?

[skluth]

Vista Chino is supposed to get a bridge in a couple years. I'll look to see if I can find a set timeline, but earlier reports state 2023.

Cathedral Canyon Drive at the wash will be open next week Monday or Tuesday.

CA 74 and 243 are both listed as with no schedule. I'd still guess CA 74 shouldn't take too long; it's already had one small section open. Mark68 is probably right on CA 243 taking a while.

I haven't heard anything about a Ramon Road bridge expansion. It could easily use a third lane each way.

[JustDrive]

I drove back from Phoenix last week. The VMS on I-10 east of Blythe had "243 Detour Use 74,"  which I felt was interesting, considering that 74 ends at the Palm Desert city limits and there's absolutely no mention of it on the 10 itself at Monterey Avenue. Still, it looks like there's no access to Idyllwild from Hemet.

[skluth]

JustDrive, you are correct. CA 74 is closed between Hemet and Mountain Center. The only way into Idyllwild is from the southeast, either via CA 74 through Palm Desert or CA 79 to CA 371 from Temecula. This morning's local news had a piece about how it may be four months before both are open. I found a more informative video from a couple days ago. Here's the accompanying text:

The California Department of Transportation provided an update on the emergency repairs to State Route 74 and State Route 243 near Idyllwild and Mountain Center.

On Feb. 14, SR 243 and SR 74 both sustained significant storm damage. Roadways were washed away, sinkholes appeared, some roads were completely lost.

At this time, the only way drivers can go up SR 74 to access Mountain Center or Idyllwild is through Palm Desert or Temecula.

Caltrans revealed Ames Construction has been working 12-hour shifts to rebuild the roads as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, additional storms throughout the past couple of weeks have caused further damage to both routes.

According to Caltrans, over 25 locations on SR-243 sustained damage including two locations with complete road loss. SR 74 has over 40 locations that will require repairs.

Caltrans officials said the original $8 million emergency contract to repair both routes will see an increase in cost.

Currently, Caltrans estimates it will take at least four months before the public will be able to access either route. The reopening of the route will also depend on if there are more weather delays or other unforeseen damages or circumstances.

On SR 74, there are limited lane widths. In the event of an emergency that would require the community to be evacuated, Caltrans, in coordination with the California Highway Patrol, Riverside County Sheriff and Emergency Management, will make arrangements for evacuation if it becomes necessary between Mountain Center and Valle Vista.

[Mark68]

I guess the good news is that California is no longer in a drought...

[skluth]

Found another article on mynewsla which gives better details of the damage on CA 74 and CA 243. Here's the text:

It may be summer before state Routes 74 and 243 completely reopen to the general public due to the extensive repair work required to restore the corridors, both of which were severely damaged during a mid-February storm event, Caltrans announced Tuesday.

"There are over 25 locations on Route 243 with damage, including two locations with complete road loss,"  according to a Caltrans statement. "Route 74 has over 40 locations that will require repairs. At this time, Caltrans is estimating at least four months before public access or reopening of both highways can take place."

Even as crews make progress fixing one spot, other deficiencies are found elsewhere that have to be addressed, according to the state transportation agency.

"Caltrans is making every effort to expedite repairs and restore the routes to the community, businesses, lodging industry and tourism,"  according to the statement. "The safety of the traveling public remains a concern on both routes."

The worst of the damage was in the area of Lake Fulmor, between Pine Cove and Banning, where Highway 243 completely collapsed and disappeared amid torrential downpours and mud flows on Feb . 14.

Another segment of the two-lane, 30-mile corridor, which is the primary north-south artery through the southern half of the San Bernardino National Forest, also gave way south of Idyllwild.

The entire highway is out of service between Interstate 10 and Idyllwild, while the southern half between Mountain Center and Idyllwild is accessible to residents and business owners.

One-way traffic control is in effect along the lower part of the route, and a detour onto a county road is necessary to bypass one sinkhole, according to Caltrans District 8 spokeswoman Terri Kasinga.

A 15-mile segment of Highway 74 is out of service because of the storm damage, which caused washouts and sinkholes.

A portion of the highway at the Strawberry Creek crossing, roughly three miles west of Mountain Center, collapsed after it was compromised by runoff.

The highway is closed from Valle Vista, just east of Hemet, to Mountain Center.

Burnsville, Minnesota-based Ames Construction Inc. was hired last month under a Caltrans emergency work order to make repairs to the 243, as well as the busted segments of state Route 74, at a cost of $8 million.

Ames was also the contractor hired in August to restore roadway surfaces damaged during the 13,000-acre Cranston Fire near Mountain Center.

Commuters coming from the west or south, attempting to reach Lake Hemet or continue on to Palm Springs, are advised to use Sage Road from Hemet, or state Route 79 from Temecula, then connect to state Route 371 eastbound, which links to the open half of Highway 74 in Anza.

More information about the closures is available here.

[skluth]

Escorts to SR 74 from Hemet expected to start in 4-6 weeks

Community meeting gives latest update on repairs

IDYLLWILD, Calif.- - Caltrans, California Highway Patrol, and county officials held an informational meeting Monday night to update mountain communities on road repairs to Highway 74 and 243.

Both 74 and 243 sustained significant damage during the record-breaking storm on Feb. 14. Numerous storms since that day have only worsened the damage. Crews have been working 12 hours a day to repair the roads.

People who attended the meeting spoke about seeing road closure signs all over the mountain, but the meeting really made them understand how badly the roads have been damaged.

"It was good to see pictures because when you see the pictures you believe it a lot more than just seeing the little closed signs,"  said Marla Moore, an Idyllwild resident.

CHP captured drone footage of the damage left behind.

"I had no idea. You think a little piece [of debris] here, a little piece there, no, roads are gone,"  said Christine Holandna, owner of Lily of the Valley Florist in Idyllwild.



Holandna says her business is staying afloat with support from locals but other small businesses who rely on visitors are struggling.

"We're still here, were alive, come up,"  Holanda said.

If all goes according to plan, more people will be able to travel up the mountain soon.

Caltrans officials announced that in four to six weeks, drivers will have access to SR 74 from Hemet with an escort from 4 am to 7 am and 6 pm to 9 pm.

"That'll be really good for the community because right now we're really struggling to figure out how to make paydays for their employees,"  one resident said.

Caltrans officials also said that escorts will become available all day in about 12 weeks.

If you missed today's meeting another informational meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday at 10 am at the United States Forest Service Cranston Station near Florida Avenue and Idyllwild National Forest Highway in Hemet.

Idyllwild residents are also selling bracelets to help raise money for those affected by the loss of tourism. Click here to buy a bracelet.

There's drone video showing some of the damage but I couldn't figure out how to insert it. Use link in first line of quote to view article.

Essentially, CA 74 will have one lane available with escorts each way around the beginning of April. That's actually pretty good considering the damage.

[Mark68]

Hopefully there are no other issues before Caltrans is able to re-open the roads. Those businesses in the Idyllwild and Mountain Center areas are really going to need the roads open as soon as possible, so they don't miss much of their summer business.

[skluth]

Cathedral Canyon Drive at the Whitewater River wash in Cathedral City is now open. There are plans to build a bridge over the wash. Construction is supposed to start within a year, but none of this would be necessary had this bridge project been started last year as originally planned. I think the Date Palm Drive bridge widening project took longer than anticipated (it didn't finish until last fall). It would have been a disaster had Cathedral Canyon Drive been closed while Date Palm was only one lane in each direction.

[skluth]

Updated news on the roads to Idyllwild. Part of CA 243 is now open. It is not completely open, but there is only a couple miles left to repair. CA 74 is still closed west of Mountain Center, but should be open with escorts by the end of the month with escorts.

It's not in the articles, but the road to the Whitewater Preserve and Avenue 44 in Indio are still closed. No word on when they will reopen.

[skluth]

Update on CA 74 between Hemet and Mountain Center. It will be open this weekend with escorts. The utility is quite limited though. It won't be 24 hours and speed will be limited to 25 mph. See linked article for details.

[skluth]

Box Canyon Road has been reopened. Box Canyon Road connects Mecca (just north of the Salton Sea) going northeast to I-10 near Chiriaco Summit. It's been closed since the Valentines Day storm that destroyed so much around here. I believe it once was US 60 if I'm reading this historical map accurately.

Let's hope this means CA 74 and 243 near Idyllwild will also be fully functional soon.

[ClassicHasClass]

Box Canyon Road has been reopened. Box Canyon Road connects Mecca (just north of the Salton Sea) going northeast to I-10 near Chiriaco Summit. It's been closed since the Valentines Day storm that destroyed so much around here. I believe it once was US 60 if I'm reading this historical map accurately.

Let's hope this means CA 74 and 243 near Idyllwild will also be fully functional soon.

It was indeed an old US 60 alignment, and was later CA 195 for awhile. http://www.floodgap.com/roadgap/195/

[pderocco]

Box Canyon Road has been reopened. Box Canyon Road connects Mecca (just north of the Salton Sea) going northeast to I-10 near Chiriaco Summit. It's been closed since the Valentines Day storm that destroyed so much around here.

Wow. I'm surprised they got it fixed so fast. The pix I saw of it made it look like it would be a major rebuilding effort, like CA-190 between Furnace Creek and Death Valley Junction back in '05.

[skluth]

Some projects within the city of Palm Springs.

Three projects total.
1. Adding a second left turn lane from NB Gene Autry Trail to WB Vista Chino. This is much needed, but there also really needs to be two left turn lanes from EB Vista Chino to NB Gene Autry which also backs up frequently.
2. Two-Way Traffic Conversion on Indian Canyon Drive downtown. This is probably good. Right now it's four one-way lanes and somewhat of a race track with a fair amount of speeding. (I am admittedly one of those who tend to speed through it.) It's usually not too busy and will make it much easier to get around downtown all the times they close Palm Canyon Drive downtown (like every Thursday evening).
3. Some additional traffic signals on Palm Canyon. I don't know if this is anticipating converting Palm Canyon Drive downtown from one-way to two-way traffic, but I don't see any other reason for doing this.

[skluth]

Caltrans had a meeting yesterday updating the conditions on CA 74 and CA 243 going to Idyllwild. The news was disappointing as I'm sure many were expecting at least one opening date. Unfortunately, CA 243 will remain closed while CA 74 will have extended escort hours on weekends. This is not what people were hoping to hear.

CA 74 Escort hours:
Saturdays and Sundays from 4:00 a.m. to midnight until the Labor Day weekend.
Monday through Friday, 4:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to midnight, respectively.

See link for more, but it's not much.

[skluth]

Finally some news on CA 243 between Banning and Idyllwild. It will be open with escorts starting Nov 1. CA 74 between Hemet and Idyllwild has been open with limited escorts for a while now and will be open full time by the end of October. I'll check both out when they reopen.

[Max Rockatansky]

Finally some news on CA 243 between Banning and Idyllwild. It will be open with escorts starting Nov 1. CA 74 between Hemet and Idyllwild has been open with limited escorts for a while now and will be open full time by the end of October. I'll check both out when they reopen.

Good thing we've saved the Joshua Tree National Park trip until December/January, I wanted to get 243 in.  Is 74 still going through escorts too?

[Mark68]

Finally some news on CA 243 between Banning and Idyllwild. It will be open with escorts starting Nov 1. CA 74 between Hemet and Idyllwild has been open with limited escorts for a while now and will be open full time by the end of October. I'll check both out when they reopen.

Ha! Reopened just in time for the next rainy season!

[skluth]

Finally some news on CA 243 between Banning and Idyllwild. It will be open with escorts starting Nov 1. CA 74 between Hemet and Idyllwild has been open with limited escorts for a while now and will be open full time by the end of October. I'll check both out when they reopen.

Good thing we've saved the Joshua Tree National Park trip until December/January, I wanted to get 243 in.  Is 74 still going through escorts too?

Yes, CA 74 still has escorts. It will have 24/7 escorts starting this weekend and is planned to be fully open sometime in October.

[Max Rockatansky]

Finally some news on CA 243 between Banning and Idyllwild. It will be open with escorts starting Nov 1. CA 74 between Hemet and Idyllwild has been open with limited escorts for a while now and will be open full time by the end of October. I'll check both out when they reopen.

Good thing we've saved the Joshua Tree National Park trip until December/January, I wanted to get 243 in.  Is 74 still going through escorts too?

Yes, CA 74 still has escorts. It will have 24/7 escorts starting this weekend and is planned to be fully open sometime in October.

Good thing I won't be through until at least November if not later.

[Max Rockatansky]

My plans for next weekend got quashed in the Cascades due to some early winter storms in the forecast.  That being the case I'll be heading out to Joshua Tree National Park given the weather will be nice and I'll be staying in the Palm Springs Area.  I have some stuff in mind for the three day trip that I'd like to get:

-   Since I'm leaving on Friday morning I'm going to make an attempt of all of CA 60 since I can dodge the weekend closures.  I'm planning on taking CA 243 as far south as the current closures given I'll still be able to get the "panoramic"  portion of the highway.  I'm looking at getting a photo album going for I-10 between CA 60 and CA 111.  If time permits I'm looking at CA 74 west from CA 111 to Pinion Pines.  If I recall correctly there was an older US 60/70/99 bridge in Whitewater right off of I-10?
-  Saturday is mostly a hiking day but I'm looking at former US 60/70/CA 195 on Box Canyon Road to Mecca.  I might look at the relatively new CA 86 expressway and Dillion Road if I have the time...I want to say it was 86S still when I worked in the area?
-  Sunday if the weather is good I'm looking clinching CA 38, 189 and 330.  If it's not good I'll do I-210/CA 210 and maybe try CA 39 a bit north of Azusa.  My bail out plan is all of CA 247 to Barstow.