For more than two decades, Rachel Ramos has lived in Pinyon Crest, a neighborhood in the mountains just off Highway 74, the only road for her and her neighbors to make frequent trips down to the Coachella Valley.
The road, which climbs several thousand feet from the desert floor through the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto mountains, has many switch-backs that hug the mountainside, with steep drop-offs and low visibility around corners. In 2024, at least two people died driving it, while another survived after falling 200 feet off the road’s edge.
While the road has long been dangerous, many residents say it’s worse than ever.
Drivers make their way along Hwy 74 in the Santa Rosa Mountains in California, Dec. 31, 2024
Many residents say the Highway 74 switch-backs have fallen into disrepair over the past year, creating more hazards for motorists. They’ve also reported seeing more semi-trucks using the primarily two-lane road, possibly as a way to avoid weigh stations on main freeways.
“I have never seen so much corrosion on this highway since I have lived up here,” Ramos said in an email. “The danger of that road is (already) high and now with those holes and rocks it makes it more dangerous.”
Alison Kelemen, also of Pinyon Crest, uses the highway several times each week to bring food to her mom, who has Alzheimer’s disease and lives in Palm Desert, where the state highway ends.
Kelemen agrees that she’s seen far more potholes lately, and she thinks the crack sealing done by Caltrans — the department that manages state highways — is insufficient.
Traffic passes potholes along Hwy 74 above near Carrizo Rd. in the Santa Rosa Mountains in California, Dec. 31, 2024
“It’s just like hundreds of potholes that have been patched, and the material that they use to patch the potholes doesn’t hold up, so what you end up getting are big chunks of asphalt in the middle of the road,” Kelemen said.
“There are a lot of hairpin turns (on Highway 74), and you can’t just drive right over a big chunk of rubble, so you have to swerve to avoid all this rubble,” she added. “It’s become such a disaster up here. … People’s lives are at stake here.”
Seeking action from local officials, Kelemen started an online petition last month that has drawn more than 700 signatures, with some commenters describing the road’s current conditions and close calls they’ve had avoiding trucks and motorcycles due to potholes.
Tristin Bourgeois, a 27-year-old who was living in La Quinta, died on Oct. 31, 2024, when a big rig going down Highway 74 lost control, overturned and crashed into his car. His mother is among dozens of area residents calling for long-term fixes to the winding road.
Some incidents have turned fatal. On the morning of Halloween, Tristin Bourgeois, a 27-year-old who was living in La Quinta, died when a big rig going down the road lost control, overturned and crashed into his car heading the opposite direction.
The incident occurred less than a day after his sister’s car got a flat tire traveling along the same road, according to Tristin’s mother, Danielle Ellington, who lives in Anza and is among the dozens of residents calling for major upgrades to the road.
Ellington also noted that more recently, an Anza tow truck company saw roughly 30 tire blowouts over Thanksgiving weekend, as first reported by the Idyllwild Town Crier.
“It’s not just one person in our family got a blowout, and the next day, my son passes away, but it is affecting a lot of people,” Ellington said. “It’s just scary to drive.”
Caltrans officials say they’re actively working to begin a major project in 2028, but residents of the area say that wait is too long and are pushing for more immediate action.
What’s being done to upgrade the road?
Several local officials have heard complaints about the state highway’s conditions and are looking to enhance the road.
Assemblymember Jeff Gonzalez, R-Indio, who recently took office and whose district includes a stretch of the highway, said the recent accidents on Highway 74 are “deeply troubling,” adding his thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted.
Vehicles that have gone off the steep sides of Hwy 74 over time have been collected into this area on Hwy 74 just south of Palm Desert, Calif., Dec. 31, 2024
“Ensuring the safety of our community in Assembly District 36 remains my highest priority,” Gonzalez said in a prepared statement. “I am actively engaging with local residents and leaders to work toward effective solutions.”
U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert, R-Corona, whose district includes most of the road from Palm Desert to Mountain Center, said his office has heard the concerns and been in contact with local Caltrans officials to discuss the issue.
“We need to ensure this road is safe for drivers as soon as possible,” Calvert told The Desert Sun in an email.
Local maintenance crews with Caltrans have recently been conducting crack-sealing to fix damaged segments of the road, and they are working to begin deeper repairs, known as asphalt dig-outs, along about 5 miles of Highway 74, according to Caltrans spokesperson Carolina Rojas.
“Our hope is to begin this rehab work within the next two months,” Rojas said of the dig-outs. “All areas in District 8 have a supervisor who conducts weekly inspections and addresses all safety items as they arise. These repairs were already in the works and fall within a winter plan that each maintenance yard adheres to.”
A Caltrans worker pats down asphalt with his foot as he fills a pothole on Hwy 74 near Carrizo Rd. near Pinyon Crest, Calif., Dec. 31, 2024
Regarding the concerns on semitrucks using the road, Rojas said any truck restrictions would require a proposal submitted to Caltrans by local authorities, along with supporting data. In the unincorporated areas along Highway 74, such a proposal would likely have to come from the Riverside County Board of Supervisors.
It’s unclear whether such a discussion might occur. A spokesperson for Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez said Perez’s office was looking into the matter with county transportation officials, but did not provide more information by press time.
Meanwhile, the larger Caltrans project — spanning about 45 miles of Highway 74 — is expected to cost $51.2 million and to begin in 2028, Rojas said. That project will include pavement milling and overlays, guardrail and sign panel replacements, upgraded curb ramps to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and stormwater mitigation, among other repairs.
But for residents driving along Highway 74 every day, the three-year wait until the bigger project is far too long.
“We can’t wait until 2028,” Klemen said. “That’s ridiculous. … It’s just not safe.”
Tom Coulter covers the cities of Palm Desert, La Quinta, Rancho Mirage and Indian Wells. Reach him at thomas.coulter@desertsun.com.
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Local residents call for fixes to Highway 74, saying it’s in disrepair