CV Link Ramon connection lacks safe pedestrian crossing while under construction
Athena Jreij
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – While the CV Link opened in November, several parts of the stretch remain unfinished including a crosswalk at the Ramon Road bridge in Palm Springs.
The Ramon crossing stands at the entrance of Palm Springs from Cathedral City, and often sees drivers traveling at fast speeds across the bridge.
News Channel 3 reached out to the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) for more information on their efforts to make the crossing safe.
In a statement, officials said they had originally planned an under crossing when construction to widen the bridge was finished, but have now began construction due to high demand.
Still, that leaves no safe option for riders to cross the bridge while under construction.
While News Channel 3 was on the scene, crews spotted several riders waiting up to 10 minutes for a gap in traffic to cross.
Speaking with travelers, several hailed the Link for it’s innovative connection through the Valley. However, many acknowledged the lack of safe crossways have made their travels unnerving, forcing many to turn around.
“I will not go if it’s unsafe. You know, if I have to race across, we’ll just turn around,” Sherrey and Dan Morrison from Washington state said.
“I’m not going to cross that road. No, it’s too busy. Cars don’t see you or people are fiddling with their texts. Even if you’ve got a bike lane, I’ve seen people weave in and out,” Tom Adair from Palm Springs said.
Others said they can wait for traffic, but wish the pathway had opened finished.
“Especially with the winter coming, there’s more traffic on road. So you got to wait a little bit and it’s challenging sometimes to get across, but you just have to wait … My husband won’t come with me though, because of this,” Chris Jaimerson of Palm Springs said.
CVAG says construction on the under crossing is estimated to be finished sometime next week.
Stick with News Channel 3 for continuing coverage.