Officials to Celebrate $5.5 Million Project in Front of County Fairgrounds

INDIO (CNS) – There will be a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday to celebrate the $5.5 million project to fix and beautify the roads in front of the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival in Indio. The free event is set to begin at 10 a.m. near the gate one entrance, 82-503 Highway 111, to celebrate the improvements and to preview the upcoming festival, which is set to begin Feb. 17, according to a statement from Supervisor V. Manuel Perez’s office. Perez will be joined by officials from the county’s Facilities Management Department, the sheriff’s department, Pickering Events and the city of Indio. "This was a major county investment to revitalize Highway 111 and Oasis Street, improving access to downtown Indio, the justice center complex, and the main corridor leading to the Riverside County Fairgrounds," said Perez. "We thank the community for their patience during the construction and we are now glad to have smoother roads that look very nice and improve travel to the National Date Festival and to all the local businesses, offices and facilities along this corridor." Perez said that the project repaired Highway 111 from Arabia Street to Smurr Street, and Oasis Street from Highway 111 to the county parking structure on Plaza Avenue. Upgrades on Highway 111 include new paving, new street lighting, sidewalk upgrades, new curbs and gutters, accessible ramps, new striping, an addition of a right turn lane and more, according to Perez. The project began in April 2022, led by the county’s Facilities Management Department, with construction performed by the Granite Construction Company, and civil engineering done by Albert A. Webb Associates, Perez said. Copyright 2023, City News Service, Inc.