CITY COUNCIL STAFF REPORT
DATE: AUGUST 26, 2026 CONSENT CALENDAR
SUBJECT: APPROVAL OF PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, AND ESTIMATE (PS&E) AND
AUTHORIZATION TO BID EAST PALM CANYON DRIVE BRIDGE, CITY PROJECT 12-04, FEDERAL AID PROJECT NO. BRLS 5282(041)
FROM: Scott C. Stiles, City Manager
BY: Engineering Services
SUMMARY:
The construction documents (Plans, Specifications, and Estimate) for this project have been prepared and in accordance with Section 7.03.04 of the Procurement and Contracting Code, the City Council shall approve and adopt the plans, specifications, and work details and authorize the bid request for all public projects exceeding $220,000.
Approval of this item will allow the Staff to proceed with soliciting bids for the East Palm Canyon Drive Bridge, City Project 12-04, Federal Aid Project No. BRLS 5282(041), (the “Project”).
RECOMMENDATION:
1. Approve the plans, specifications and estimate and authorize Staff to advertise and solicit bids for the East Palm Canyon Drive Bridge, City Project 12-04, Federal Aid Project No. BRLS 5282(041).
2. Authorize the City Manager to execute all necessary documents.
BACKGROUND:
The East Palm Canyon Drive Bridge, constructed in 1956 and widened in 1963, is listed in the Federal Eligible Bridge List with a low Sufficiency Rating (SR) of 42.6 according to the July 20, 2021, Bridge Inspection Report (BIR) prepared by Caltrans Office of Structure Maintenance and Investigations. Since the bridge is rated with a SR lower than 80, the bridge is eligible for major rehabilitation in accordance with the Highway Bridge Program (HBP) guidelines. A location map is provided in Figure 1 for reference.
City Council Staff Report
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Figure 1
The Project includes a seismic retrofit and widening of the existing bridge over the Palm Canyon Wash. East Palm Canyon Drive will be maintained with four lanes of traffic (two eastbound, two westbound), separated by a new ten-foot-wide striped center median.
The roadway shoulders will be widened and a new ADA-compliant sidewalk will be constructed on the south side of the bridge. A retaining wall and separate sound wall will be constructed along the south side of East Palm Canyon Drive adjacent to the Horizon Mobile Village & RV Park. A traffic signal will be installed (via a separate project due to environmental clearance and funding requirements) at the intersection of East Palm Canyon Drive and Rim Road/ Southridge Drive. The bicycle/pedestrian bridge on the north side will remain, however, the deteriorated wood deck and wood railings will be replaced.
On September 3, 2014, the City Council approved Agreement A6597 with Dokken Engineering for the Project’s environmental and design phase, totaling $1,182,540. The agreement has since been amended four times, with Amendment No. 4 extending the contract to June 30, 2028, and adding environmental surveys, mitigation landscaping, and permitting coordination for $39,249.56. Construction documents were completed on July 2026 and are included as Attachment A.
On July 8, 2026, the City Council approved an Agreement with T.Y. Lin International (TYLin) for construction management services. Onboarding a construction management firm early allows the City to provide a constructability review, in-depth traffic control
City Council Staff Report
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staging layout review, and public outreach well in advance of going out to bid for construction.
The Project Team has been compiling a residential and business address contact list since early August with outreach starting the following month. A public meeting will be planned several weeks before the start of construction. A copy of the construction plan set is included as Attachment A.
STAFF ANALYSIS:
With City Council approval, Staff will advertise the Project in The Desert Sun, and utilize the procurement site, PlanetBids™, to allow the submission of bids electronically. The contract documents will be provided free of charge to prospective bidders through the PlanetBids™ system. The anticipated schedule for releasing bids is provided below, but is subject to change based on preconstruction delays, bidder questions, quality of bids received, etc.
Notice Inviting Bids to be Posted: August 27, 2026 Deadline for Receipt of Bids: September 24, 2026 Contract Awarded by City Council: November 2026 Staff recommend the City Council approve the contract documents and grant authority to formally bid the subject Project for construction.
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT:
Section 21084 of the California Public Resources Code requires Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act (“CEQA”). In accordance with the CEQA Guidelines, the City acting as “Lead Agency” pursuant to CEQA, previously completed an environmental analysis of the potential impacts resulting from construction of the Project. The Project is funded, in part, by federal funds, requiring local oversight by the State of California, Department of Transportation (“Caltrans”).
As a federally funded project, the Project is subject to environmental review pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”). On November 3, 2017, Caltrans, acting as the lead agency pursuant to NEPA, made an environmental determination that the Project does not individually or cumulatively have a significant impact on the environment as defined by NEPA and is excluded from the requirements to prepare an Environmental Assessment (“EA”) or Environmental Impact Statement (“EIS”), has considered unusual circumstances pursuant to 23 CFR 771.117(b), and that it qualifies for a Categorical Exclusion in accordance with 23 CFR 771.117(d).
ALIGNMENT WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING:
This item aligns with the following City Council Strategic Plan Broad Goal: Infrastructure and Facilities.
City Council Staff Report
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FISCAL IMPACT:
In August 2025, the City received federal authorization to move forward with building the Project. Following the bidding process, the Project will be submitted to the City Council for approval. At that time, a detailed breakdown of the Project costs, including construction, consultant services, and staff costs, will be presented for Council review and approval. If costs exceeds current available funding, additional federal funds will be requested once bids are opened.
The City will finance the initial upfront costs, however, through reimbursements, the City is expected to pay only a portion of the eligible total Project costs. The funding breakdown is shown below:
Highway Bridge Funding Source (88.53% – Caltrans share) Regional Measure A 134-Fund (75% of 11.47% – CVAG share) Local Measure A 134-Fund (10% of 11.47% – City share)
HBP funds are limited to work required to address the bridge's deficiencies, including the seismic retrofit, widening, and associated roadway, and pedestrian improvements within the limits of the bridge itself and eligible approach roadway. As a result, the traffic signal is a non-federally participating component of the Project, will be locally funded, and bid as a separate scope of work, concurrently with the bridge scope of work.
REVIEWED BY:
Acting City Engineer: Francisco Jaime
Assistant City Manager: Flinn Fagg
City Manager: Teresa Gallavan for Scott Stiles
ATTACHMENTS:
A. The construction plans for City Project 12-04 are available on the City’s Website using the following link:
publicportal.palmspringsca.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=1464095&dbid=0&re po=CityHall-Primary