Construction on the largest chunk to date of the CV Link project is expected to begin by the end of the year, officials announced Tuesday.
The Coachella Valley Association of Governments on Monday approved a collection of contracts totaling nearly $53 million with Ames Construction Inc., which will see about 17 additional miles of the proposed 40-plus mile alternative transportation pathway constructed.
While the timeline of construction depends on the contractor, work is expected to start in December and finish between 18 months and two years later, according to Erica Felci, the agency’s governmental projects manager.
“This has been a long time coming and construction of this magnitude frankly couldn’t come at a better time,” CVAG Executive Director Tom Kirk said in a statement. “The COVID-19 crisis has really shown us how vital it is for a community to have access to safe routes for walking, biking or riding in low-speed neighborhood electric vehicles.”
The entire thoroughfare is expected to finish up by 2025, according to Indio Mayor Glenn Miller, chairman of CVAG’s executive committee.
To date, three-and-a-half miles of the project have been built in Cathedral City and Palm Springs, and another three-and-a-half miles are underway in Palm Desert.
The latest link segments to be approved are slated for the cities of Palm Springs, Palm Desert, La Quinta, Indio, Coachella and portions of unincorporated Riverside County, according to CVAG. These pieces will include additional safety features, including safety bridges and undercrossings, which will take link users out of the pathway of vehicle traffic.
CV Link has been in the works since 2011, but construction of the link’s initial segments began in 2017.
According to project proponents, the link will provide significant health, economic and environmental benefits to the Coachella Valley.
While billed as a connecter between the west and east ends of the Coachella Valley, the project will include notable holes in Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells, which have opted out of participating.