Storm-Damaged Bridge In Whitewater Set For Demolition

WHITEWATER, CA — The Board of Supervisors Tuesday approved a $1.5 million contract sought by the Riverside County Flood Control & Water Conservation District for retention of a construction company for demolition of a storm-damaged bridge in Whitewater.

In a 5-0 vote without comment, the board gave the district the go- ahead to put the Riverside Construction Co. to work on the Emergency Bridge Demolition of the Whitewater Cutoff Bridge Project.

The concrete span, which parallels Interstate 10 between Tipton Road to the west and Painted Hills Road to the east, is only a couple hundred feet long but serves as a link taking motorists over the Whitewater River.

The river is dry most months, acting mainly as a drainage for runoff.

The two-lane Whitewater Cutoff provides an alternate means of reaching Whitewater from North Palm Springs, or vice versa, via surface streets.

According to documents posted to the board's agenda, Tropical Storm Hilary thrashed the bridge on Aug. 20, causing "substructure and superstructure damage."

"After the (county) Transportation Department's inspection of the bridge, it was declared unsafe for use, and the bridge was closed to traffic," the water district said. "Immediate demolition and removal of the existing bridge is needed due to its current unsafe condition."

Caltrans engineers also examined the century-old span and made the same determination, according to officials.

"A future bridge replacement project will be developed, and Whitewater Cutoff will remain closed until a replacement bridge is constructed," documents stated.

The demolition and cleanup are expected to get underway in early December and continue into January.

There are no residences in the immediate vicinity of the cutoff, where a windmill farm is located.

Riverside Construction Co. is among the Flood Control & Water Conservation District's designated contractors for emergency repair projects and was selected based on previously established criteria.

Storm cells spawned by Hilary, which began as a category 4 hurricane before making landfall in Mexico's northern Baja Peninsula, pounded the Inland Empire.

More than two dozen road closures occurred, with the Coachella Valley suffering major transportation disruptions. Eastbound Interstate 10 in Whitewater was briefly shut down after mudslides created travel hazards.

Last week, the Biden administration issued a Major Disaster Declaration stemming from Hilary that puts Riverside County in line to receive Federal Emergency Relief Agency grants going forward.