Street Projects in Palm Desert

This page provides an overview of planned street and roadway projects taking place throughout Palm Desert. The goal is to keep residents informed about upcoming work, anticipated impacts, and general timelines. While the City works closely with project partners to keep schedules up to date, timelines may change due to weather conditions, material availability, or coordination requirements. Although this list represents a comprehensive overview of known projects coordinated by City staff and partner agencies, smaller projects and emergency repairs may occur at any time and may not be listed here.

Citywide Arterial Restriping Underway

The City has begun a citywide effort to restripe major arterial roadways, starting with Cook Street and Portola Avenue. This project is designed to improve overall traffic flow while also creating more space and safer conditions for bicyclists. The following streets will be worked on for this project:

• Portola Avenue
• Gerald Ford Drive
• Cook Street
• Country Club Drive
• El Dorado Drive
• Frank Sinatra Drive
• Oasis Club Drive
• CA-111

As part of this work, storm drains are being covered to prevent debris from getting into our waterway, and existing lane markings are being removed in preparation for the new striping layout. The roads will be slurry-sealed, and then new striping will be added to the road. During construction, drivers may notice that lane lines are temporarily less visible or absent in some areas.

We appreciate your patience during this transition and encourage drivers to use extra caution while traveling through these areas.

Traffic Signal Visibility Improvements Underway

The City of Palm Desert will soon begin installing high-visibility backplates on traffic signals throughout the community. These backplates add a yellow reflective border around signal heads, making traffic lights easier to see—especially in bright sunlight, low-light conditions, or complex intersections.

Why this matters:
This improvement is designed to enhance safety for all roadway users by increasing signal visibility and helping drivers more quickly recognize traffic lights, reducing the potential for red-light running and collisions.

What to expect:

• Work will take place at signalized intersections citywide from late March through August 2026
• Crews will move from intersection to intersection, typically completing work quickly at each location
• Short-term lane closures may occur during installation
• Work will occur during daytime hours initially, with a transition to night work later in the project to minimize traffic impacts

The City will make every effort to reduce disruptions and appreciates your patience as we complete these important safety upgrades.

• Start Date: March 23, 2026
• End Date: August 13, 2026
• Work Type: Rolling installation at signalized intersections citywide
• Work Hours:
  • March – mid-May: Primarily daytime work
  • Mid-May – August: Primarily night work (to reduce traffic impacts)
• Traffic Impacts:
  • Brief, moving lane closures at individual intersections
  • No long-term closures at any single location

Landscape Construction - Highway 111 - June 1 through June 8