ST. GEORGE — With the Kolob Mountain area becoming increasing popular for tourism and recreational development, the Washington County Commission passed a resolution Tuesday hiring a third party to conduct a study on current and future traffic infrastructure needs.
Though the study was initially prompted as a part of the commission’s consideration for the approval of a pending “glamping” development called Above Zion, it will encompass the entire area, County Commission Chair Gil Almquist said.
“It’s not only a traffic study, but we’re also talking about drainage and looking at the big picture of how that effects roadways and vehicular traffic, forecasting any sort of road impediments to safety and so on,” Almquist said, adding that the overview would include “any project existing or forecast” and not just Above Zion.
The study will include a look at the overall safety of the current road system in the area, as well as identify where it is lacking and could be improved.
A particular road Almquist mentioned to St. George News on Thursday is the Kolob Terrace Road, which starts in Virgin off state Route 9 and takes motorists to the Kolob Reservoir and beyond that. Part of the road can be dangerously narrow and has resulted in fatalities in the past.
Recently the County Commission approved the installation of Jersey barriers to be placed along parts of the road where the drop off is particularly steep.
Some parts of the road are also built on shale, Almquist added, which has the potential to cause the road surface to shift and is another factor the traffic study will address.
“It truly is a safety concern,” he said.
Kolob Terrace Road is also a seasonal road, Almquist said. When it snows, the road becomes impassable for regular vehicles, and the gate at the foot of the road in Virgin tends to be locked because of it.
However, when the spring comes and the snow melts, people have been returning to the area in ever increasing number in recent years.
This increase in visitation has spurred an interests in recreational development on the mountain, as well as camping around Kolob Reservoir, which led to the commission and the Washington County Water Conservancy District to impose camping fees and regulations on the area in an attempt to curb overcrowding and related issues.
There is also a road leading from Kolob Mountain down into Iron County that may be looked at for further development as a secondary access point in case of emergencies on the mountain, Almquist said.
“It’s time to have a good, comprehensive study done on the Kolob Mountain area,” County Attorney Eric Clarke said Tuesday prior to the commission’s voting to move ahead on the professional services agreement that paves the way for the traffic study.
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