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Development Spotlight: Major St George Road Projects Set to Transform Local Traffic

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Major St George Road Projects Set to Transform Local Traffic

St. George is facing two massive infrastructure overhauls that will fundamentally change how traffic moves through the city.

For decades, Interstate 15 has effectively split St. George in two, acting as a barrier down the center of town. Now, the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) is launching major St George road projects along both I-15 and Bluff Street to reconnect neighborhoods, improve drainage, and ease long-term congestion.

Reconnecting the City: The I-15 Expansion and Underpasses

UDOT is rebuilding a 2.5-mile stretch of I-15 between the Bluff Street exit (Exit 6) and St. George Boulevard (Exit 8).

Key upgrades to this corridor include:

Lane Expansion: Widening I-15 from two lanes to three lanes in each direction.
Bridge Replacements: Raising the interstate and replacing the existing bridges at 100 South and 700 South with taller, wider structures.
New Underpasses: Constructing two brand-new local road crossings under I-15 at 400 East and 900 South, complete with six-foot sidewalks.

Right now, drivers crossing from one side of I-15 to the other are forced onto crowded choke points like Bluff Street and 700 South. The new underpasses will create direct east-west connections. For students attending Dixie High School and Dixie Middle School, these new routes could cut a 1.5-mile detour down to a quick five-minute walk.

Funding and Timeline

While the underpass project faced a setback when an $87.5 million federal grant was cut during 2025 budget reductions, state and city leadership kept the initiative alive. A new $23.5 million federal BUILD grant was awarded in August 2026 to help finalize funding.

Construction on this stretch begins in fall 2026, with an estimated completion date between late 2028 and early 2029.

Bluff Street Overhaul: Raised Medians and Fixing the Ditch

The second major corridor undergoing immediate work is Bluff Street (SR-18), spanning from St. George Boulevard down to Main Street.

This $38 million project includes:

Raised Landscape Medians: Similar to St. George Boulevard, replacing open center turns with dedicated turning points.
Burying the Open Ditch: Eliminating the open roadside ditch on the west side of Bluff Street by folding it into a new underground storm drain.
Infrastructure Upgrades: Resurfacing pavement, upgrading intersections, and adding major flood protection.

Work on the south end drainage started during summer 2026, with crews aiming to complete the entire Bluff Street project by spring 2027. Drivers should note that the new medians will convert several left-hand turns into U-turns to streamline traffic flow.

Safety and Traffic Impact: What Local Drivers Can Expect

During active construction over the next two years, drivers should prepare for orange cones, lane shifts, and temporary delays. However, local legal and safety experts emphasize that the long-term payoff will be substantial.

According to Andrew from McMullen Injury Law, more than 75,000 vehicles cross over I-15 daily. Adding a third lane makes merging around heavy semi-truck traffic much safer.

“Raising a median decreases crashes by 40% because this project is going to delete over 30 conflict points,” Andrew noted regarding Bluff Street. “No more Wild West on Bluff Street, turning left out of businesses across all these lanes of traffic.”

Additionally, trips that currently take six minutes across town via 700 South or Main Street could take just seconds once the 400 East and 900 South underpasses are open.

Watch the Full Video Update

For a complete breakdown of both highway corridors, visual maps, and expert safety analysis, watch the update from What’s Happening in Southern Utah:

Watch it all here:

Related Southern Utah Development Coverage

As St. George continues to grow, these major road improvements are just one part of the broader infrastructure expansion across Southern Utah. For more updates on local growth, real estate, and construction initiatives, check out our previous stories:

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