Drivers need to plan around Sunrise Way starting July 20, as library construction shuts it down to one lane through mid-November

Drivers who use Sunrise Way in Palm Springs should start planning alternate routes now. Construction tied to the Palm Springs Public Library renovation begins July 20 and is expected to run through November 13, cutting the road down to a single lane for months.

Swinerton Construction will be building a new driveway entrance, a median, and an expanded south parking lot for the library as part of the project. To do that work, Sunrise Way will be reduced to one lane between Baristo Road and Camino Parocela, with intermittent lane closures throughout the construction period. Crews will be working 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

The city is asking drivers to expect delays, slow down through the work zone, and follow posted signage and instructions from construction crews. Anyone who regularly drives that stretch of Sunrise Way is being encouraged to find an alternate route while the work is underway.

The roadwork is part of the larger renovation of the Palm Springs Public Library, which is being paid for with $6.5 million in matching state grant funds along with local Measure J money. While the renovation is underway, the library has relocated to the Rimrock Plaza Shopping Center, 4721 E. Palm Canyon Dr., on the corner of Gene Autry Trail and E. Palm Canyon Drive.