The City of Desert Hot Springs is fortunate to have an outstanding Public Works Department that is committed to improving the safety of all motorists and residents. The Public Works Department is responsible for the construction, operation, and maintenance of all City Parks, City Streets, Traffic Signals, City Buildings, and all Landscape and Drainage Assessment Districts.
With our recent receipt of $10,000,000 in grant funding, we will continue to make road improvements throughout the City.
One major project that the City has been working on for some time is the Palm Drive North Project which will cost $4,298,600 using funds that were granted to DHS. This project runs from Pierson to Mission Lakes Blvd and includes 48 ADA ramps, new sidewalks and curbs & gutters, new curbside residential parking, eleven new streetlights and a new 4-way stop at Palm drive and 12th street.
We recently completed our Crosswalk Improvement Project at the intersection of Palm drive and 8th street to improve driver and pedestrian safety and notification. It included installation of a center island median to lower left turn conflict accidents, dedicated left turn pockets, high visibility crosswalks, markings and legends, a solar LED flashing stop sign, and LED flashing pedestrian crossing signs.
Also recently completed is the Mountain View Resurfacing project at a total cost of $577,800. This work took place on Mountain View road from Dillon road to Via Domingo, and it included resurfacing, striping, an ADA sidewalk, signal system upgrade at Mountain View and Dillon road, all allowing for safe entry and exit of the residential community west of Mountain View.
The City also prioritized its 8th Street Sidewalk Project that covered 8th street from Palm drive to Cactus drive. The City installed approximately 1,600 linear feet of sidewalk, curb and gutter, 9 ADA ramps and a retaining wall, thus providing a safe path of travel for residents.
Hacienda Street Improvements will begin in in June 2024 and be completed in June of 2025. Improvements include road resurfacing, new markings and striping, curbside parking, bike lanes, streetlights, a new sidewalk, ADA ramps and landscaping. The Hacienda Street II Improvement project will provide road resurfacing, new markings and striping, curbside parking, bike lanes, streetlights, a new sidewalk, ADA ramps and landscaping.
The City of Desert Hot Springs is also proud of its new Wayfinding signs throughout the City. These are the signs that you see on major arteries and they direct visitors and residents to the location of City Hall, Animal Control, and the Police Department, for instance. The new signs feature a new color scheme that makes the directions easier to read for motorists.
And as everyone knows, Desert Hot Springs took the brunt of the flood damage during Tropical Storm Hilary. While we expected to receive financial relief from the state of California and from the federal government for road and bridge repairs, we didn’t wait to begin repair work. The majority of damage took place on Indian Canyon and Dillon roads. Repairing the Pierson Boulevard bridge at Mission Creek cost $719,705 and was completed on January 1, 2024.
The storm caused substantial damage on Dillon road at Mission Creek, where roughly 300 feet of low-water crossing was destroyed and completely washed away. This is a big repair job that will cost $1,839,053. It is anticipated that work will be completed in April of 2024.
And finally, storm damage will require repairs at Indian Canyon drive and Mission Creek, where roughly 1,200 feet of roadway and a low water crossing with culverts was destroyed and completely washed out. This repair is budgeted at $4,097,924 and will be completed in March of 2024.