Southern California Edison was supposed to start construction in Joshua Tree National Park as of October 5, but the construction has been delayed. Ernest Figueroa explains what’s going on, and what visitors can expect…
Due to an unforeseen delay, road construction in Joshua Tree National Park, due to begin Monday, October 5, will begin next Monday, October 19. Preliminary signage will be installed as early as October 12. The construction project will allow Southern California Edison to construct a 12-kilovolt electric distribution line along Park Boulevard from the Twentynine Palms entrance of Joshua Tree National Park to the Pinto Wye turnoff. Visitors should expect some traffic disruption as work begins along the south bound lane both when entering the park, until they pass the Pinto Wye marker. The project will replace a deteriorated 1960’s era buried line that is at the end of its life cycle. The distribution line supplies power to several users, including the park and Belle Mountain.
The entrances in the village of Joshua Tree, and in the southern end of the park off Interstate 10 at Cottonwood will not be affected. Work will take place Monday through Friday during daylight hours. Construction will not be conducted during weekends or holidays. Traffic control with flaggers will be employed in certain areas during this roadwork to increase efficiency and ensure safety. There could be wait times of up to ten minutes.
