AES was selected by the City of Coachella and the Dillon Road Joint Powers Authority (JPA) to provide engineering, CEQA/NEPA environmental services for constructing the Dillon Road improvements from State Route 86 (SR-86) freeway to Avenue 48, including the bridge over the Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel (CVSC).
The agencies propose to reconstruct the existing two-lane bridge to accommodate the ultimate six-lane corridor at Dillon Road that spans over the CVSC. The proposed Project will be built off of the existing alignment to match the ultimate Dillon Road section. It shall not restrict consideration of alternatives for future improvements on the existing interchange at SR-86.
The proposed project work includes widening Dillon Road from a narrow 2-lane roadway without shoulder to a 6-lane major arterial with enhanced bicycle facilities, sidewalks; and shared shoulder with CV/Link multimodal pathway commuter connectors and access ramps. It proposed to construct two new 490 feet long, 3-span parallel bridges with approach slabs, removal of existing deficient bridge and facilities; detours, stage construction, regional drainage system, traffic signal modifications, billboards relocations, Tribal Lands acquisitions and BIA coordination and utility relocations.
The project also includes performing HEC-RAS analysis for the Coachella Valley Stormwater Channel and widening the channel to ultimate width with slope protection, eliminating the existing channel constriction to improve river hydraulics and lower water surface elevation, hence reducing flood risk. It is consistent with Coachella Valley Water District’s (CVWD) newly adopted ordinances complying with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) 100-year flood hazard requirements, in lieu of the CVWD Standard Project Flood (SPF) water surface elevation.
