The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) late last month reinstated approval for the Northern Corridor Highway, reviving a long-contested proposal to build a four-lane road through protected federal land north of St. George, Utah.
Supporters say the project is vital to easing traffic strain in one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions, while critics warn it threatens sensitive wildlife habitat and undermines longstanding conservation protections.
The project was initially approved in 2021 during the Trump administration. That approval was withdrawn in 2024 after a supplemental environmental study found the highway would increase wildfire risk and destroy critical habitat. In reinstating the right-of-way, BLM officials said the previously endorsed alternative—upgrading the existing Red Hills Parkway—was not technically or economically feasible.
The approved alignment would connect Washington Parkway to Red Hills Parkway, spanning roughly 4.5 miles through a portion of the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area (NCA). Congress designated the NCA in 2009 to protect sensitive desert ecosystems, including habitat for the threatened Mojave desert tortoise.
Officials say the corridor is needed to relieve projected congestion on existing routes as Washington County’s population continues to grow. Environmental groups have vowed to continue pursuing legal challenges, citing habitat destruction and weakened protections for congressionally designated public lands.
The BLM’s approval includes mitigation measures such as adding thousands of acres to the Red Cliffs Desert Reserve and funding tortoise relocation efforts. Officials say the highway would require relocating 30 to 40 desert tortoises, but the expanded reserve would protect habitat for more than 900 tortoises.
According to Washington County officials, preliminary work, including fencing and final engineering, could begin within weeks. Construction is expected to last several years, though the timeline remains subject to potential litigation.
Photo by Dick Scholten from Pexels
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