WASHINGTON CITY — By December 2023, drivers could be taking Exit 11 off Interstate 15 onto Washington City’s Main Street.

Lee Cabell, principal at Horrocks Engineers, told Washington City Council at Wednesday’s meeting construction on the I-15 widening and interchange project is slated to begin in March 2023.

Cabell also showed those in attendance the project plans, which call for I-15 to be widened to three lanes in both northbound and southbound directions between Exits 10 and 13. In addition, a new interchange will be added at milepost 11 giving travelers the option to exit the freeway onto Washington’s Main Street.

In addition to landscaping and beautification planning at the interchange intersection, planning crews worked with city officials to implement freeway overpass and noise barrier designs that blend in with local scenery.

But the design phase isn’t over just yet; planners still have a few obstacles to clear before starting the project.

“The biggest problem we will be facing as far as timing will be the closure of Main Street,” he said. “We are estimating that it could be anywhere from 4-6 months. We have plans in place to notify the public and provide alternative routes when the time comes.”

Once the project is completed, drivers exiting the freeway at milepost 11 will come to a stop sign, with the only stoplight planned for installation at the Buena Vista Boulevard intersection.

“If in the future UDOT (Utah Department of Transportation) decides there is enough traffic flow to warrant a stoplight, then the infrastructure will be in place so that one can be easily added,” Cabell said.

In an interview with St. George News, Washington City Mayor Kress Staheli said plans for the new interchange were started in 2017 by a previous administration. He said he understands the interchange has created some controversy among residents, and his administration is trying to hear everyone’s concerns while making sure the project also benefits the city.

“The Main Street interchange in Washington is really going to help alleviate the congestion that occurs at the Green Springs Drive interchange,” he said. “Not only that, it opens the possibility for future commercial development on Buena Vista Drive all the way to the current Exit 13. New business means new sales tax revenue to fund our police, fire department, roads and many other projects in the city.”

While working on project designs that would add beauty to the city, Staheli said many city staff put in hours of planning to ensure the downtown area of Main Street does not end up looking urban.

“We saw the original UDOT designs and they aren’t really the most pleasing to look at aesthetically — really gray and boring,” he said. “Our designs for the overpass and noise barriers will blend in well with the mountains to the west, and the colors will match the surrounding scenery. I am really proud of the hard work everyone put into planning this.”

Representatives of Washington City and UDOT will be available to answer questions, show the project plans or hear public comments at the Dixie Transportation Expo on Feb. 7, 2023, at the Dixie Convention Center.

The plans for the estimated $54 million project were finalized on Dec. 7, with bidding advertisements planned for Dec. 17. A mandatory meeting for bidders is scheduled for Jan. 10, 2023, with a notice of award planned for Jan. 26.

George Washington Parkway/SR 7 interchange

Council members were also updated on plans for a new interchange on state Route 7, also known as Southern Parkway, at George Washington Parkway in Washington. Cabell said plans for the project are 70 percent complete, with a projected date of February 2023 for plans to be finalized and advertisements for bidding placed.

Part of Southern Parkway will need to be raised at the interchange approximately four feet for the $15.5 million project, Cabell advised the council, and George Washington Parkway will run underneath.

“This project is still a while out,” he said. “I would estimate work won’t be completed until June or July 2024.”

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