Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Shutdown Due to Severe Damage From Storm

The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has been closed indefinitely following Thursday’s storm due to severe damage to Tramway Road, officials announced Friday. A section of Tramway road — the only way to and from the largest rotating aerial tramway in the world — was washed away Thursday by heavy rains, Vice President of Marketing and Public Affairs Greg Purdy said. A culvert under the road was breached causing the asphalt damage, Purdy added. The damage to the road was severe enough to issue a road closure that will shut down the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway attraction, Purdy said. A time frame for the road’s repair was not given. In addition to the tramway, a series of road closures continue throughout the desert area due to mud and debris from the heavy rain, which also caused some rockslides. The closures include a stretch of Highway 111 between Interstate 10 and Overture Drive in both directions in Palm Springs and portions of Gene Autry Trail, Indian Canyon Road at the wash, Farrell Drive and El Cielo Drive. Baristo Road at South Indian Canyon and Murray Canyon at South Palm Canyon have reopened Friday afternoon following their closure Thursday, according to the Palm Springs Police Department. At least three sections of state Route 243 between Banning and Idyllwild were compromised because of storm runoff, Caltrans District 8 spokeswoman Terri Kasinga said. Storm runoff opened a massive sinkhole that washed away most of the pavement in one section. The mountain highway was closed to through traffic and likely will remain out of service for the rest of the month, Caltrans officials said. More rain is expected to fall in the coming week.