Highway 111 Improvements Combine Savings and Sustainability

Highway 111 is now back to the full speed limit and except for a bit of ‘window dressing’ – traffic signal and final median landscaping adjustments – the City of Indian Wells is very pleased to announce that it has completed the Highway 111 Phase 2 enhancement project that began this past July.

The improved portion of Highway 111 that extends from Cook Street east to the La Quinta border now features sound deadening rubberized asphalt. Crews also installed landscaped medians, added a new left turn lane at the Cook/Highway 111 signal, adjusted curb/gutter conditions, and adjusted crown grades. The road enhancement project was undertaken to provide traffic calming measures, alleviate road noise, and prepare Highway 111 for future widening. Highway 111 is scheduled for Phase 3 widening west of Cook Street in the summer of 2013.

As water conservation remains a priority at City Hall, crews also installed a new reclaimed water irrigation line and state-of-the-art drip system to transport reclaimed water from the golf course to the drought-tolerant plantings in the medians. The City expects to save a minimum of $40,000 annually in water expenses with this facility. In addition, Highway 111 now incorporates the latest in LED illumination, with all new features providing an overall beautification effect for residents, commuters and tourists traveling through Indian Wells.

The $5 million project, which was completed on time and on budget, was jointly funded by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) at $2.7 million and the City of Indian Wells at $2.3 million. The City median installation, working in cooperation with CVAG, saved approximately $2.1 million over the alternative required road work without landscaped median installation and the associated CVAG cost sharing.

City officials and staff have already received very favorable feedback on the Highway 111 improvements and would like to thank everyone for their patience during construction.