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Home > Archive > Feb 21, 2008

Traffic-Improvement Projects Planned for St. George
By Marc Mortenson
If you are one of those people who like to know what is going on in your community, the last five weeks have been a feast in Southern Utah. The Washington County Economic Summit coupled with the Dixie Transportation Expo and dozens of other public meetings have been the source of information overload for many Washington County residents. The data, statistics and information presented in these forums was excellent and gave attendees a sense of the economic status as well as a vision for what is on the horizon for Southwestern Utah. 
One transportation project that is beginning to draw attention, particularly by those who use south Bluff Street frequently is the Bluff Street Interchange Project. The Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) and the city of St. George have been working together for a number of years to study and improve driver safety and traffic congestion at the intersection of Black Ridge Drive, Main Street and Bluff Street. In 2006, both entities re-striped double left-hand turn lanes at the intersection to allow for better traffic flow. This was of course a temporary solution to buy time until a permanent solution was designed and funded. 
Three weeks ago, UDOT officials and city staff presented a final design and timeframe for the Bluff Street interchange project to Mayor McArthur and the City Council. This project is expected to go to bid by the end of February and begin construction in April. It entails:

• Realignment of the I-15 north and southbound access ramps to increase intersection spacing (ramps will be relocated closer to I-15).
• Widening of Bluff Street from the intersection of Main Street/Black Ridge Drive over the bridge to Convention Center Drive.
• Intersection improvements at Black Ridge Drive/ Main Street and Convention Center Drive/ Sunland Drive/ Riverside Drive.

The project is expected to cause some delays during construction, but travel lanes will remain open in the area throughout construction. There will be large earth-moving trucks and equipment entering and exiting the roadway throughout the project, and construction crews will be present to ensure motorist safety around specific work zones. The City has been reassured that all business accesses will remain open from start to finish.
Realignment of the I-15 access ramps will impact existing landscape that will be replaced upon completion of the project. Trees will be relocated and rocks moved to complement the existing aesthetics near the interchange bridge.
In addition, this summer, the City plans to relocate Hilton Drive to 250 West Street to allow for greater stacking distance for motorists wishing to make a right-hand turn onto Bluff Street from Black Ridge Drive. The total cost for these improvements is estimated to be nearly $18 million.
Both UDOT and the City felt a summer construction schedule would be the most appropriate time of year for the project. Construction is expected to take six months and be complete prior to the busy season, which typically begins in October with the St. George Marathon and Huntsman Senior Games.   
Even though the Bluff Street Interchange project is fairly extensive in its scope, it only represents part of the improvements planned to alleviate congestion and improve traffic flow in the south Bluff Street area.
The proposed Dixie Drive Interchange is currently in the environmental assessment phase and preliminary design is underway. Possible alignments and potential impacts are being studied to determine the best location for the new interchange. UDOT and the City have met with all the stakeholders in the affected area in order to mitigate impacts and foster support for the project. This project is expected to start construction as early as 2013.
I realize that there is never a good time for construction, and if we had unlimited funding, it would be best to build all roads to their full widths and capacity from the very beginning. Unfortunately this is not possible, and the City has to do the best it can with the monies that are available. We hope you will have patience with us as we continue to improve and provide for better transportation in St. George.  
If you have questions regarding either of these two projects please call UDOT Public Information Officer Myron Lee at (435) 893-4702. 

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