If you've driven Varner Road lately, you probably don't need a traffic report to tell you it's rough. Around the Valley, it's earned the nickname "the road of woes," and unfortunately, that title isn't going away anytime soon.
A viewer reached out asking for an update after hearing about improvement plans last year, wondering if anything had actually changed. The answer? Yes... and no.
According to CVAG President Tom Kirk, plenty of work is happening—but almost all of it is behind the scenes. Engineers are still completing environmental reviews, technical studies, and now an additional hydrology study after discovering more work was needed because of flooding concerns between Palm Drive and Date Palm Drive. Once those studies are finished, the final design has to be approved. Then comes another major hurdle: finding the money to actually build it.
That's where the frustration comes in. For drivers bouncing over potholes and navigating one of the Valley's roughest stretches of pavement, hearing that "progress is being made" doesn't make the daily commute any smoother. It's one of those classic government projects where years can pass before a single piece of construction equipment ever shows up.
The conversation also highlighted just how long this project has been in the works. When the issue first came up on the show years ago, the estimated timeline was about seven years. Today, while officials say they're still within the expected schedule, many residents understandably feel like they've been hearing the same promises for a long time without seeing much change on the ground.
The good news is that local agencies continue working with Cathedral City while searching for state and federal funding to make the project a reality. The less encouraging news? They still don't have the money to build it.
For now, drivers will have to keep dodging bumps and hoping that 2027 finally becomes the year Varner Road gets the overhaul everyone has been waiting for. Until then, patience—and good suspension—remain your best travel companions.
By: NBC Palm Springs
July 8, 2026
