CV Link Officially Opens After a Decade of Planning, Offering Safer Travel Across the Coachella Valley

After more than a decade of planning, the long-anticipated CV Link is officially open to the public. The nearly 40-mile multipurpose pathway stretches from Palm Springs to Coachella, offering cyclists, walkers, and electric mobility users a safer way to travel across the valley.

For cyclist John Siegel, the opening is more than a convenience — it’s life-changing. Siegel says he spent years sharing the road with cars and was once seriously injured while riding along Highway 111. Now, he calls the new route a “safe way to enjoy paradise.”

The project, led by the Coachella Valley Association of Governments, cost roughly $130 million and took over 10 years to complete. Officials say residents will benefit from increased safety, improved connectivity, and a clean transportation option that runs alongside the Whitewater River channel, separated from fast-moving vehicles.

Not every city opted in, however. Indian Wells and Rancho Mirage raised concerns about safety and maintenance, creating a five-mile gap in the Palm Desert area. Still, local leaders say expansion is ahead, with plans to extend the path north toward Desert Hot Springs and south toward the Salton Sea.

Grand opening events continue throughout the valley as officials celebrate one of the region’s largest infrastructure investments and cyclists like Siegel embrace a safer way to ride.