The Desert Sun

Road repairs will cause closures in Desert Hot Springs

Desert Hot Springs and Riverside County have started working on repairs to two roads in the northern part of the city, Mission Lakes Boulevard and Little Morongo Road. They will result in some road closures.

On Tuesday, the city council unanimousl­y authorized a constructi­on agreement with Vance Corporatio­n for a resurfacin­g project on the two roads. Constructi­on began on July 15 and is estimated to conclude in September, according to the county.

Riverside County has been working on resurfacin­g projects in unincorpor­ated areas and awarded a constructi­on agreement to Vance Corporatio­n for the portion of the roads in their jurisdicti­on. These are general repairs not related to Hilary, a storm in August 2023 that caused serious damage to many roads in the Coachella Valley, including Little Morongo Road.

“The county was actually coming in and doing these street improvemen­ts, and we generally will like to maximize the fact that they're already mobilized and tie in to do our half of the roads,” said Deputy City Manager Doria Wilms.

Parts of both roads run along a boundary between the city and the unincorpor­ated section that includes Mission Lakes Country Club.

Where are the repairs taking place?

The following portions of the roads will be repaired, according to a city staff report:

Mission Lakes Boulevard from Clubhouse Blvd to Little Morongo Road.

Little Morongo Road from Mission Lakes Blvd to Augusta Avenue.

The county's transporta­tion website also states that it is resurfacin­g a 670foot stretch of Langlois Road running north from Clifton Street, which is several miles east of city limits.

That's about 10 miles away from the work being done on Little Morongo Road and Mission Lakes Boulevard.

What do the repairs entail?

The repairs will include resurfacin­g and striping the roads, and utility adjustment­s as-needed.

What is it costing?

The city's total budget for resurfacin­g the two roads is $654,532.59, which includes a 10% contingenc­y and $50,000 for utility adjustment­s if needed. The city will be paying for the project with funds from Senate Bill 1, a 2017 state transporta­tion funding measure, according to the city staff report.

The county's total constructi­on cost for its portions of the roads is $2.1 million.

How will this impact drivers?

Constructi­on will take place throughout the week and drivers are urged to be cautious in the area.

Mission Lakes Boulevard, from Warwick Drive and Little Morongo Road, will be closed from July 22 to 28, according to the county. Drivers will still have access to Warwick Drive and Little Morongo Road through a detour.

There will also be no parking signs posted, which will have the dates and times for when the restrictio­ns are in place.

Ani Gasparyan covers the western Coachella Valley cities of Desert Hot Springs and Cathedral City. Reach her at ani.gasparyan@desertsun.com.