Road Work and Tennis Traffic: What to Know Before You Hit the Road This Week

It's time for Know Before You Go, your weekly heads-up on construction and road impacts across the Coachella Valley so you can plan ahead and avoid getting stuck. Joining us live from the CV Sync Traffic Management Center in Thousand Palms is CV Sync Traffic Program Manager Kris Gunterson.

Cathedral City: E. Palm Canyon Drive at Van Fleet

Crews are widening East Palm Canyon Drive near Van Fleet as part of Agua Caliente’s new Fuel gas station project. The westbound lane is down to one lane, so expect slow going through the area.

Gunterson says the project has a hard finish date of April 3. In the meantime, drivers can use Date Palm Drive and Perez Road to work around the congestion, or pack some patience and push through. CV Sync has made signal adjustments to help keep things moving.

Indio: Indio Boulevard at Jefferson Street

Road improvements are underway at Indio Boulevard and Jefferson Street, where crews are widening the roadway and adding a new signal phase to accommodate a new Caterpillar retail development nearby. Eastbound Indio Boulevard is down to one lane, creating a pinch point for drivers coming off the freeway. This work runs through the end of March.

Gunterson says drivers should use Monroe or Washington Street to access the freeway, and Fred Waring Drive to get east or west and skip the intersection altogether. If you do go through, make sure there's room on the other side before you enter, cars blocking the intersection are making backups worse in all directions.

Indian Wells: BNP Paribas Open — Week Two

The BNP Paribas Open is in week two, running through March 15, and tournament traffic is in full effect. Gunterson says the biggest congestion builds up on southbound Washington Street and eastbound Highway 111 near Miles Avenue.

Best times to avoid the area: 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. as matches get underway, and again from 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the session changeover. Late night also gets busy when everything wraps up. If you have to travel through, Gunterson says stay in the inside lanes on Washington and the outside lanes on Highway 111, and give yourself extra time if you're heading to a match. Don't leave an hour before a 1:00 p.m. start.

Slow down, put the phone down, and give yourself a little extra time out there this week. For the latest on road conditions across the valley, visit cv-sync.com.