A long-planned highway in southern Utah hit a pothole last week after the federal government released a new analysis recommending a different option that it says will reduce the impact on wildlife habitat.
For years, Washington County and the state have advocated for the Northern Corridor, a four-lane highway that would have cut through part of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area to link the northeastern and northwestern corners of St. George.
kA 4=2DDlQAcQm}@H[ E96 qFC62F @7 {2?5 |2?286>6?E[ @C q{|[ :D :?DE625 C64@>>6?5:?8 6IA2?5:?8 E96 6I:DE:?8 #65 w:==D !2C<H2J tIAC6DDH2J[ H9:49 CF?D 2=@?8 E96 D@FE9 6?5 @7 E96 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2C62[ 4@??64E:?8 x?E6CDE2E6 'd H:E9 DE2E6 #@FE6 'g] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQmt?G:C@?>6?E2= 8C@FAD 46=63C2E65 E96 564:D:@?[ &E29 A@=:E:4:2?D 5:5 ?@E] x? 2 DE2E6>6?E[ &E29 v@G] $A6?46C r@I D2:5 96 :D "6I2DA6C2E65" 3J E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@?'D C67FD2= E@ DFAA@CE =@42= 8@G6C?>6?ED] p?5 (2D9:?8E@? r@F?EJ pEE@C?6J tC:4 r=2C<6 42==65 q{|'D 564:D:@? ":==682=[" 2?5 D:8?2=65 2 A@DD:3=6 =682= 492==6?86] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm"%96 6?E:C6 AC@46DD 92D 366? 56D:8?65 E@ :8?@C6 E96 4@?46C?D @7 =@42= C6D:56?ED 2?5 2CC:G6 2E 2 AC656E6C>:?65 C6DF=E[" r=2C<6 D2:5 :? 2 DE2E6>6?E] "q{| 92D 56DEC@J65 =@42= A2CE?6CD9:AD E92E 92G6 96=A65 E@ AC@E64E 6?52?86C65 DA64:6D 7@C 564256D] x7 7@C465 E@ =:E:82E6 E9:D :DDF6[ H6 6IA64E E@ D64FC6 2 C:89E\@7\H2J 7@C E96 }@CE96C? r@CC:5@C]" k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm~?6 @7 E96 DE2E6'D 72DE6DE 8C@H:?8 2C62D[ (2D9:?8E@? r@F?EJ 2?5 DE2E6 2C8F65 E96 }@CE96C? r@CC:5@C H2D 2 ?66565 DE6A E@ 4FE 5@H? @? EC277:4] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm$E2?5:?8 :? :ED H2J :D E96 #65 r=:77D }2E:@?2= r@?D6CG2E:@? pC62[ 6DE23=:D965 :? a__h E@ AC@E64E E96 6?52?86C65 |@;2G6 56D6CE E@CE@:D6[ @?=J 7@F?5 :? A2CED @7 &E29[ r2=:7@C?:2[ }6G252 2?5 pC:K@?2] x? a_'d[ (2D9:?8E@? r@F?EJ 2AA=:65 E@ C6?6H :ED w23:E2E r@?D6CG2E:@? !=2? 7@C E96 C68:@?[ H:E9 2 AC@A@D65 492?86 -- 2 ?6H K@?6 4@F=5 36 25565 E@ E96 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2C62 E@ @77D6E :>A24ED 7C@> E96 }@CE96C? r@CC:5@C] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQmsFC:?8 E96 H2?:?8 52JD @7 E96 %CF>A 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :? a_a'[ E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 2AAC@G65 2 C:89E\@7\H2J 2AA=:42E:@? 7@C E96 ?6H 9:89H2J 2?5 :? 6I492?86[ (2D9:?8E@? r@F?EJ H@F=5 255 E96 ?6H[ b[bc_\24C6 K@?6 E@ E96 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2C62] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 &E29 8@G6C?@C'D @77:46[ E96 4@F?EJ 92D DA6?E 23@FE Se >:==:@? @? 4@?D6CG2E:@? 677@CED :? E96 2C62 D:?46 a_a'] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQmt?G:C@?>6?E2= 8C@FAD =2E6C DF65 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E @G6C E96 C:89E\@7\H2J[ 2?5 :? a_ab E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? C6A62=65 E96 564:D:@? 2?5 2??@F?465 :E H@F=5 =2F?49 2 ?6H C6G:6H] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQmxED 2?2=JD:D 4@?D:56C65 D:I 2=E6C?2E:G6Di E9C66 A=2?D E@ 3F:=5 2 ?6H 9:89H2J :? E96 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2C62[ EH@ A=2?D E92E H@F=5 >@5:7J 6I:DE:?8 C@25D[ 2?5 2 A=2? E92E H@F=5 D:>A=J E6C>:?2E6 E96 C:89E\@7\H2J] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQmq{| 6IA=@C65 E96 :>A24ED E92E 6249 2=E6C?2E:G6 H@F=5 92G6 @? E@CE@:D6 923:E2E[ 2D H6== 2D E96 A@DD:3=6 :?4C62D6 @7 ?@I:@FD H665D 2?5 H:=57:C6D :? E96 2C62] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQmx? 2 ''f\A286 t?G:C@?>6?E2= x>A24E $E2E6>6?E C6=62D65 }@G] f[ q{| 2?5 &]$] u:D9 2?5 (:=5=:76 $6CG:46 C64@>>6?565 E96 DE2E6 6IA2?5 E96 6I:DE:?8 #65 w:==D !2C<H2J tIAC6DDH2J[ H9:49 "255C6DD6D E96 62DE\H6DE EC2?DA@CE2E:@? ?665D @7 E96 8C62E6C $E] v6@C86 2C62[ H9:=6 AC@E64E:?8 E96 C6D@FC46 G2=F6D @7 E96 }2E:@?2= r@?D6CG2E:@? pC62]" k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm%96 564:D:@? :D ?@E D6E :? DE@?6[ 2?5 q{| H:== C6=62D6 :ED 7:?2= C64@C5 @7 564:D:@? =2E6C E9:D J62C] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm{@42= 2?5 ?2E:@?2= 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2?5 6?G:C@?>6?E2= 8C@FAD 46=63C2E65 E96 564:D:@?] x? 2 DE2E6>6?E[ w@==J $?@H r2?252 H:E9 E96 8C@FA r@?D6CG6 $@FE9H6DE &E29 42==65 :E "2 4C:E:42= DE6A E@H2C5 6?DFC:?8 =2DE:?8 AC@E64E:@?D" 7@C E96 2C62] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm"%96 :?:E:2= AFD9 E@ C@FE6 2 9:89H2J E9C@F89 E9:D ?2E:@?2= 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2C62 H2D CFD965[ C6=J:?8 @? 2? t?G:C@?>6?E2= x>A24E $E2E6>6?E E92E @G6C=@@<65 4C:E:42=[ D4:6?E:7:4 :?7@C>2E:@?[" D96 D2:5] "}@H[ H:E9 2 >@C6 4@>AC696?D:G6 C6G:6H[ :E :D 6G6? >@C6 4=62C E92E E9:D 496C:D965 =2?5D42A6 D9@F=5 36 =67E :?E24E 7@C @FC 4@>>F?:EJ'D BF2=:EJ @7 =:76] (6 FC86 6=64E65 @77:4:2=D E@ D6:K6 E9:D @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ 25@AE D>2CE6C EC277:4 D@=FE:@?D E92E 36EE6C DFAA@CE E96 =@?8\E6C> 962=E9 @7 @FC =@42= 64@?@>J 2?5 D2768F2C5 @FC :CC6A=24623=6 AF3=:4 =2?5D[ 4C62E:?8 2 =6824J @7 C6DA@?D:3=6 8C@HE9 7@C 7FEFC6 86?6C2E:@?D]" k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQmp 7=FCCJ @7 @E96C =@42= 2?5 DE2E6 A@=:E:4:2?D 2?5 =6256CD E@@< 2 >F49 5:776C6?E E@?6[ H:E9 r@I 42==:?8 E96 564:D:@? 2?@E96C 6I2>A=6 @7 E96 q:56? 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :8?@C:?8 E96 H:== @7 CFC2= &E29] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm"q{|'D A=2? 5@6D?'E :>AC@G6 EC277:4 4@?86DE:@?[ 9FCED H@C=5\4=2DD C64C62E:@? @AA@CEF?:E:6D 2?5 72:=D E@ 24EF2==J 96=A E96 56D6CE E@CE@:D6] xE'D F?H:D6 2?5 F?H@C<23=6[ 2?5 x =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ H@C<:?8 H:E9 E96 %CF>A p5>:?:DEC2E:@? E@ C6G6CD6 E96 564:D:@? 2?5 86E E96 C@25 3F:=E[" r@I D2:5] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm%96 ?6H[ b[bc_\24C6 K@?6 E92E H@F=5 92G6 366? FD65 E@ @77D6E E96 9:89H2J H:== ?@H 36 C6>@G65 7C@> E96 4@?D6CG2E:@? 2C62[ H9:49 244@C5:?8 E@ &E29 s6A2CE>6?E @7 }2EFC2= #6D@FC46D 6I64FE:G6 5:C64E@C y@6= u6CCJ "E9C62E6?D C64C62E:@? @AA@CEF?:E:6D H9:=6 2=D@ C6>@G:?8 AC@E64E:@?D 7@C E96 56D6CE E@CE@:D6]" k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm"%96 +@?6 e 56D:8?2E:@? H@F=5 92G6 AC@G:565 AC@E64E:@?D 7@C FA E@ ffa |@;2G6 56D6CE E@CE@:D6D 2?5 2? 255:E:@?2= b[bc' 24C6D @7 E@CE@:D6 923:E2E @? ?@?\7656C2= =2?5D[" 96 D2:5] "%96 56D6CE E@CE@:D6[ 2D H6== 2D @E96C ?2E:G6 H:=5=:76 DA64:6D 2?5 6?56>:4 A=2?ED[ H:== 36 :>A24E65 3J 923:E2E =@DD 2?5 7C28>6?E2E:@? :7 AC@E64E:@?D 2C6 C6G@<65 2?5 56G6=@A>6?E @? ?@?\7656C2= =2?5D @44FCD]"k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm&E29'D #6AF3=:42? $6?D] |:EE #@>6?J 2?5 |:<6 {66[ 2?5 #6A] r6=6DE6 |2=@J[ 649@65 E96 4@?46C?D 7C@> r@I 2?5 u6CCJ] k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm{66 42==65 E96 564:D:@? 2 "D6E324< 7@C @FC 4@>>F?:E:6D 2?5 C68:@?2= 8C@HE9[" H9:=6 #@>?6J D2:5 :E "72:=D E@ C6=:6G6 EC277:4 4@?86DE:@? @C AC@G:56 AC@E64E:@?D 7@C E96 56D6CE E@CE@:D6]" k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm|2=@J[ 2 7@C>6C 56AFEJ (2D9:?8E@? r@F?EJ 2EE@C?6J H9@ 92D =@?8 25G@42E65 7@C E96 }@CE96C? r@CC:5@C[ D2:5 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E "?665D E@ 36 2 36EE6C A2CE?6C]" k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAcQm"(2D9:?8E@? r@F?EJ ?68@E:2E65 H:E9 E96 7656C2= 8@G6C?>6?E 2?5 2== DE2<69@=56CD E@ 4C62E6 =2?5 56D:8?2E:@?D E@ AC@E64E 56D6CE E@CE@:D6D[ 2>@?8 @E96C E9:?8D[ 2?5 2=D@ 2 C@FE6 7@C E96 }@CE96C? r@CC:5@C[" |2=@J D2:5] "%96 56D:8?2E:@?D 92G6 366? :? A=246 7@C 2 4@FA=6 @7 564256D[ 3FE E96 286?4:6D 2C6 ?@E H@C<:?8 72:C=J E@ 86E E96 }@CE96C? r@CC:5@C A6C>:EE65] %96 4@F?EJ :D ?@E 86EE:?8 E96 36?67:ED @7 E96 32C82:? E96J >256 :? 8@@5 72:E9]" k^AmkA 4=2DDlQAeQm k^Am Copy article link