The roadwork has started in Palm Springs, arrows, traffic lights, and lanes will all be reconfigured on Indian Canyon Drive as the one-way Northbound lanes will soon switch into two-way traffic.

The city’s Assistant Manager and City Engineer, Marcus Fuller, said the plan is to add one Southbound lane and a center turn lane on Indian Canyon Drive.

Fuller said, “We were seeing a lot more traffic congestion on Palm Canyon Drive which is one way Southbound, which is made worse when we have it closed every Thursday night for Village fest or when we have our major events or parades.”

For some of the downtown shop owners, such as Larry Keller, co-owner of ‘Just Chillin’, an ice cream shop along Indian Canyon Drive, the roadwork has had an impact on the business.

Keller said, “It’s cost us business in the short term but hopefully it’s short term pain for long term gain because when they were digging these sidewalks up here they literally blocked off and we minus well had closed.”

But he said he ultimately welcomes the addition of a lane going South, he said it will help confused tourists not drive into the wrong-way, and it will help with traffic flow once the downtown arena is completed.

Keller said, “It will just bring more people in and I think it will be great for business.”

The Southbound lanes were planned before the new downtown arena was announced, but with traffic concerns from locals over the arena, the timing for the new lane works-out for the city.

Fuller said, “Having that addition route is going to help any event or the arena with all of the traffic that is generated.”

The full scope of the project by the City of Palm Springs can be found on this link.

Turning Indian Canyon Drive into Two-Way Traffic