Since the morning of Tuesday, October 6, the westbound lane closest to the median on the East Palm Canyon Drive bridge over the Araby Wash has been closed for repairs. Patch reported that the city gave no estimate of how long the work would last and did not say what was being repaired. For anyone in Araby Cove or Araby Commons, that lane is this season's real change.
The In-N-Out proposed for Smoke Tree Village has had far more public attention. Its July 6 design review was its fifth, and a sixth was scheduled for Monday, October 19. Its projected opening is late 2027 or early 2028. This fall's drive is being shaped by the city's bridge, lane and signal work, which shows up mostly as short traffic notices.
| Change | Where | Status as of mid-October 2026 | Next date on record |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westbound No. 1 lane closed | East Palm Canyon bridge over the Araby Wash | Closed since October 6 | None given |
| Road reconfiguration | South Palm Canyon Dr, East Palm Canyon to Acanto | New lane pattern in place since September 4 | Construction scheduled through October 2026 |
| Signal safety upgrades | East Palm Canyon Dr at Araby Dr and Escoba Dr | Paused, waiting on materials | Expected restart in October 2026 |
| In-N-Out restaurant and drive-thru | 1801 E. Palm Canyon Dr, Smoke Tree Village | Conditional design approval | Projected opening late 2027 or early 2028 |
The lane closure with no end date
The city's street closure page lists the bridge closure under an update marked "as of 10/5." It says the No. 1 westbound lane is closed for Public Works repairs, that there is "no ETA at this time on reopening," and asks drivers to use alternate routes and expect delays. In the city's own traffic terms, the No. 1 lane is the one nearest the center of the road. Westbound traffic over the wash is down to the curb-side lane.
Of the four changes, this is the only one with no posted end date. The road project below has a schedule and the signal work has a restart month. For the bridge, the city's alert page is the place where the reopening will be announced.
South Palm Canyon has already been narrowed
A few blocks west, where South Palm Canyon Drive leaves East Palm Canyon beside Smoke Tree Village, one change is already in place. The city's CP 22-21A project takes South Palm Canyon between East Palm Canyon Drive and Acanto Drive from four lanes down to three. The new layout has one travel lane in each direction and a continuous two-way left-turn lane, along with Class II bike lanes, new pavement, new sidewalk segments and ADA curb ramps. Eagle Paving Company is the contractor.
A city notice set the switch for Friday, September 4, at 4 p.m., with final roadway and bike-lane work planned for September 8 through 11. The newest weekly update on the city's Engage Palm Springs project page, for the week of September 14 through 18, asks drivers to go slowly as they adjust. It also says to stay in your lane and not pass other cars on South Palm Canyon. That week's work was adjusting utilities to the new street surface, with lane and bike-lane striping listed for September 21.
The city's capital projects page gives an expected completion of October 2026. Work runs Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., with occasional lane closures, posted no-parking restrictions and sidewalk detours. At least one lane stays open in each direction. Questions go to the project hotline at (442) 221-0015 or [email protected].
This change is permanent. The bridge lane will reopen at some point. South Palm Canyon will stay at one lane each way.
The signal at Araby and Escoba is waiting on parts
The intersection closest to the neighborhood is next in line. East Palm Canyon Drive at Araby Drive and Escoba Drive is one of seven intersections in the city's federally funded Highway Safety Improvement Program project, CP 18-05 HSIP Cycle 9. The city lists possible upgrades at each location: new signal equipment, protected left-turn phases, pedestrian countdown signals, video detection cameras, better pavement markings and ADA curb ramps. Some existing signal poles and foundations will also be replaced.
The city says construction is paused until long-lead materials arrive and is expected to resume in October 2026. The work schedule is the same weekday 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. window, with occasional lane closures and minor delays but no full road closures. Senior Engineer Anthony Acosta is the project contact at 760-323-8253, extension 8740.
Taken together, the three city projects explain this fall's errand traffic. Within a few blocks, there is a bridge down a westbound lane, a newly narrowed road where passing isn't allowed, and a signal waiting for crews. The city's two construction projects work only on weekdays between 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. The bridge lane is closed around the clock.
The In-N-Out is the slowest clock of the four
The fourth change is the one with the longest public record. In-N-Out has proposed a 3,886-square-foot restaurant with a drive-thru at 1801 East Palm Canyon Drive. According to The Palm Springs Post, the site is a former Bank of America in Smoke Tree Village, and the project has been in the works since 2024. The Planning Commission approved the project about a year before this summer. The Architectural Review Committee's job is limited to the building's architecture and design.
The Post reported that at the committee's July 6 meeting, a first motion to approve failed 3-2. The committee then voted 5-0 to approve with conditions, adding a requirement that the design return for a sixth review before final sign-off. Some of the committee's requests would change what neighbors see from the street. Members asked for much stronger landscape screening and berms to block headlight glare from a drive-thru queue of more than 40 cars. They also wanted more real shade trees for pedestrians and diners, and a less bulky design for the employee canopy and trash enclosure.
In-N-Out development manager Peter Kulmaticki told the committee the building was "unique to Palm Springs" and that "you will not find this building in the In-N-Out portfolio," the Post reported. He also called the renderings "our last crack at this," while saying the company was "willing to make more adjustments and work."
The committee's agenda for Monday, October 19 listed the project as unfinished business, with city staff recommending approval subject to conditions. Even a final design sign-off at that meeting doesn't move the opening date. Citing city budget documents, The Desert Sun reported in February that the restaurant was not expected to open in 2026 and was projected for late 2027 or early 2028. NBC Palm Springs gave the same window in July. The South Palm Canyon project, by comparison, is scheduled to finish in October 2026.
What stays put at Smoke Tree Village
While the corner around it changes, the shopping center keeps running as it does now. These businesses list Smoke Tree Village addresses:
- Ralphs, 1733 E. Palm Canyon Dr., with a coffee bar and Starbucks in the store, according to the Ralphs store page
- 533 Viet Fusion, 1775 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Suite 625
- Smokin' Burgers & Lounge, 1775 E. Palm Canyon Dr., #220
- Subway, 1775 East Palm Canyon Dr.
- Smoke Tree Post Office, 1775 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Suite 605
- Smoke Tree Greetings, the card, gift and puzzle shop Palm Springs Life featured last December
NBC Palm Springs described the proposed In-N-Out site as near Ralphs. Until then, the changes that matter for a trip to the post office or the grocery store are the bridge lane, the new lanes on South Palm Canyon and the Araby signal. The city's street closure page and capital projects page are where updates on all three will be posted.
If you own in Araby Cove or Araby Commons and wonder how a narrower South Palm Canyon and a future drive-thru at Smoke Tree Village fit into your home's value, Sarah Pearce and James can walk you through it with recent local sales. Get a Free Home Valuation, and we'll keep an eye on this corner for you.
