There’s major work for Indian Canyon’s conversion, but traffic has more room than expected – Desert Sun

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It's crunch time for Indian Canyon Drive's conversion project in downtown Palm Springs and city staff said last month major road closures were expected this week.

But justa few days ago, they announced plans changedand traffic will now be able to flow through the project site, albeit at a slower pace.

This week's work involves paving and the city originally expected full closures that would change each day and require zero vehicles in areas under construction. Instead, workers will be working lane-by-lane and leave two open for traffic.

The lane closures will likely cover "several blocks at a time," Senior Civil Engineer Donn Uyeno said. The nearest alternate routes to the east are Avenida Caballeros and Sunrise Way.

Access will be available to businesses on Indian Canyon, but driveways will essentially be cut in half and "slightly larger than the width of a car," Uyeno added.

Business owners and their customers should plan ahead and look for other places to park.City staff has been referring everyone to the downtown parking structure or underground garage.

Traffic backs up on northbound Indian Canyon Drive at Alejo Road in Palm Springs on Thursday, Nov. 14, 2019 as part of a conversation project. The road is being converted to a two-way street and paving is scheduled to last all week on Indian Canyon between Alejo and Camino Parocela.(Photo: Colin Atagi/The Desert Sun)

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Paving may be scheduled to last only this week, but Indian Canyon willstill be a one-way road and the final conversion won't happen until the week of Jan. 5.

Twonorthbound lanes are being removed and one will be used for southbound traffic and the other will be converted into a center turnlane. Roadside parking will remain. Sidewalks will be adjusted, and traffic signals will be renovated or replaced as far north as Tachevah Drive so traffic flow can remain steady.

Work is scheduled from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Jan. 5, and a new section of the road will have two-way traffic by each morning, according to the city. Unless weather causes problems, adjustments are as scheduled:

Holiday travel begins later this week

Travel experts say Friday may be the day everyone begins hittingthe road for the holidays.

The busiest travel days by air are Dec. 21-23, but the entire travel period lasts through Jan. 1, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California.

With unemployment at record lows and household net worth at record highs, more Americans and Southern Californians are feeling able to afford holiday vacations, said Filomena Andre, the Auto Clubs vice president for travel products and services.

Anaheim is a top destination on a national level, so roads in or near Orange County will likely be congested. Top destinations for Southern Californians include Las Vegas, San Diego, the Central Coast, Grand Canyon and Mexico.

Use that information when deciding where to travel for the rest of the month. You may just want to avoid those areas.

Desert Sun reporter Colin Atagi covers crime, public safetyandroadand highway safety. He can be reached at Colin.Atagi@desertsun.com or follow him at @tdscolinatagi.

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There's major work for Indian Canyon's conversion, but traffic has more room than expected - Desert Sun