Federal approval again clears path for long-debated Northern Corridor Highway

Federal land manag­ers have again approved the long-debated North­ern Corridor Highway in Washington County, clearing a major regulatory hurdle for the proposed four-lane roadway after years of reversals, lawsuits and political shifts.

Red Cliffs National Conservation Area north of St. George is part of the landscape affected by the proposed Northern Corridor Highway.

On January 21, the Bu­reau of Land Management issued a record of decision approving a right-of-way for the highway, which would connect Washington Parkway to Red Hills Park­way north of St. George. The decision reinstates federal approval that had been withdrawn in 2024, following an earlier ap­proval issued during the Trump administration in 2021.

County officials say the Northern Corridor is need­ed to address increasing east west traffic congestion in the rapidly growing St. George area, particularly as development continues in Ivins, Santa Clara and Washington City. Support­ers argue the route would relieve pressure on down­town streets and provide a long-planned regional transportation connection.

The approved align­ment would pass through a portion of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area, a congressionally designated landscape es­tablished in 2009 to protect sensitive desert ecosys­tems and recreation areas. The corridor also crosses designated habitat for the threatened Mojave Desert tortoise, which has been a central point of opposition throughout the project’s history.

Environmental groups criticized the decision fol­lowing its release, arguing the approval undermines federal environmental protections and weakens safeguards for protected public lands. Several or­ganizations said they are reviewing legal options and may pursue additional court challenges, as earlier lawsuits delayed or blocked construction during previ­ous phases of the project.

Federal and county of­ficials say mitigation mea­sures are included in the approval. Those measures include adding thousands of acres to the conservation area and implementing habitat protection and relocation efforts tied to the Washington Coun­ty Habitat Conservation Plan. Project supporters say those actions would offset the roughly 200 acres directly affected by the roadway.

Washington County offi­cials said preliminary con­struction activities such as fencing, final engineering work and site preparation could begin within weeks, with full construction expected to take several years. Timelines remain subject to potential legal challenges and additional permitting steps.

The Northern Corridor has been debated for more than two decades and remains one of the most contentious transportation projects in southern Utah. With federal approval re­stored, the project now en­ters its next phase, even as opposition efforts continue.