This project consisted of removal of the existing low water crossing with a new all-weather crossing of the Coachella Valley Storm Water Channel (CVSWC) and the widening of more that 2.5 miles of Jefferson Street, from Highway 111 to Indio Boulevard.
The new 500-foot long, six-lane bridge provides a critical all-weather crossing of the Coachella Valley Storm Water Channel (Whitewater River Channel) in the City of La Quinta and replaced the existing two-lane low water crossing which was highly susceptible to flooding and required continual costly reconstruction following moderate storm events. The bridge was designed as a cast-in-place, post-tensioned, concrete box girder, supported on four-column bents with large diameter drilled shaft foundations. Critical profile and hydraulic constraints led to the use of a “haunched” girder design to meet freeboard requirements while passing the Standard Project Flood. This girder design minimized impact to the roadway profile and extent of reconstruction of the approach roadways. Channel scour was also a critical issue and was addressed in the design by utilizing large diameter drilled shaft foundations. The bridge was constructed in stages to maintain traffic during construction. Additional design elements on the project included storm drainage system, new water main for both the Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD) and the Indio Water Authority (IWA), six new traffic signal systems and two signal modifications and construction staging plans. The project was completed in 2005 at a final construction cost of $19.05 Million.
