Growth stalled, but construction still continues in So. Utah

Construction crews have started work on a new freeway interchange off Interstate 15 in the middle of St. George, resurfacing efforts further north on the freeway are coming to a close, state Route 9 in Hurricane remains a construction zone and the next leg of the Southern Parkway is expected to open in January along with St. George's new airport. Along with multiple smaller projects either already under construction or on the way, it adds up to hundreds of millions in new infrastructure around what had been one of the fastest-growing areas in the country.

The $75 million interchange will run from an extension of Dixie Drive to the west and land south of the Dixie Convention Center. Based on a 2007 study of traffic volume, safety concerns and other deficiencies at the Bluff Street interchange, the new freeway exit is proposed to better facilitate traffic and accommodate future growth on the southwest side of the city.

Many of the projects were funded based on growth projections developed before the economy started plummeting in 2008 - just in time to get federal and state funding for roads and facilities that might not get much use early on.

The Utah Department of Transportation decided that particular area of St. George would need extensive work after the study predicted the local population to grow from 74,000 to 216,000 by 2035, meaning 74,000 vehicles would be traveling on Bluff between Main Street and Interstate 15 each day.

The Utah Department of Transportation decided that particular area of St. George would need extensive work after the study predicted the local population to grow from 74,000 to 216,000 by 2035, meaning 74,000 vehicles would be traveling on Bluff between Main Street and Interstate 15 each day.

Similar projections were used to garner federal funds for the $160 million airport, as well as the Southern Parkway, which will eventually connect the southern edge of St. George to the west side of Hurricane, passing Washington City along the way. The Spectrum