BLM Approves Northern Corridor Highway Plan in Southern Utah3 min read

From Taylor Bentley, U.S. House of Representatives Celeste Maloy office

Washington, D.C.—Yesterday, the Bureau of Land Management approved the construction of the Northern Corridor highway, advancing a long-delayed transportation project critical to Washington County’s growing communities.

The project will connect Washington Parkway and Red Hills Parkway, allowing traffic to bypass downtown St. George and improving safety and travel time for residents throughout southern Utah. The decision also expands protected lands, adding thousands of acres of desert tortoise habitat and preserving popular recreation areas.

The Northern Corridor fulfills a requirement established by Congress in 2009, when it created the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and directed the Secretary of the Interior to preserve a northern transportation route across federal land. The approved corridor reflects years of planning and environmental review and was designed to address traffic congestion while minimizing impacts to public lands and wildlife habitat.

“I’ve worked on this issue for over a decade—first as a deputy county attorney in Washington County, then as a congressional staffer, and finally as a member of Congress,” said Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (R, UT-02). “This decision is the result of decades of work, research, collaboration, and dedication on the part of a long list of elected officials in Washington County. After years of study and careful planning, a solution is now in place. The Northern Corridor balances conservation with the transportation needs of a fast-growing region. I’m grateful to local officials, the BLM, and the Trump administration for working together to move this project forward.”

Congressman Bruce Westerman (R, AR-04), chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said, “The Northern Corridor is a long-overdue and vital infrastructure project for the residents of St. George and this announcement from the Bureau of Land Management is a major win for Utahns. I’d like to applaud Representative Maloy for her steadfast leadership on this issue, including hosting the Committee for a field hearing in her district last Congress to bring attention to this problem.”

Approval of the right-of-way restores the original transportation plan contemplated by Congress and provides long-term certainty for local communities, public land managers, and conservation partners as the region continues to grow.

State and local leaders praised the decision as a long-awaited step forward.

“The Northern Corridor will improve local traffic, while providing significant protections for the Mojave Desert Tortoise and safeguard popular recreation areas from potential development on nearby lands,” said Redge Johnson, director of the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office. “This decision marks a breakthrough for a planning process that has held the county’s needs hostage for far too long.”

Washington County Commissioner Adam Snow stated, “Washington County is so pleased with the Trump Administration and its work that led to the federal decision announced today. This plan is the only feasible way to balance conservation and provide for our county’s transportation and recreation needs.”

“We have worked with our partners across many agencies — at the county, state and federal levels — for many years and to see the Northern Corridor right-of-way restored is great news,” said St. George Mayor Jimmie Hughes. “Let’s be clear: This is a win-win. Not only do we preserve Zone 6, which includes Moe’s Valley, and protect an exponentially larger amount of open space, which includes the desert tortoise, but we also secure the vital transportation corridor mandated by Congress that will benefit our residents for years to come.”