WASHINGTON CITY — Road construction for the widening of George Washington Boulevard in Washington City is nearly complete, said public works director Blake Fonnesbeck.
Residents can fleetingly rejoice as crews ramp up to begin construction on two yearlong projects to provide travelers more options when traveling to the airport in St. George, or those going to Sand Hollow State Park near Hurricane.
The improvements on the boulevard, renamed using a combination of the cities the road passes through, also known as 3650 South, included infrastructure improvements on the eastern side of the city historically known as Washington Fields, such as power, sewer, storm drains and more lanes for traffic in a growing residential area once known for agriculture.
In their most recent City Council meeting, Fonnesbeck spoke of the joint venture between Washington City and the city of St. George to complete a section of the road.
“There is a section of it, about a mile long, the St. George City limits are on one side and Washington on the other,” Fonnesbeck told the council, referencing the item on the agenda that was unanimously approved.
The agreement, already signed off by St. George Mayor Michele Randall, gave Washington City crews authority to complete the project and St. George’s assurance to reimburse Washington for 16 ¼ feet of asphalt for their portion of the road once the project is completed.
With the 3650 South/Washington Fields intersection nearly complete, just in time for the June deadline, crews will prepare to begin work to extend Washington Fields Road to a new ending point near the airport’s parkway, Fonnesbeck said.
“When completed, it will extend past the Warner Valley Road and end near the airport parkway,” he told St. George News during a telephone interview. “The project is out for bid now and I would anticipate a late July, early August start date for construction.”
Also slated to begin soon, construction to extend George Washington Boulevard from the current dead end to a new interchange being planned for state Route 7, more commonly known as the Southern Parkway.
According to the project plans, this design will begin in July with a projected completion date of July 2024. Plans for the interchange were approved in May, allowing city administrators to advertise for bids from contractors.
“Construction would most likely start in the middle of July and take approximately one year to complete,” according to the Washington City government website.
The upcoming road extensions will serve the eastern part of the Washington Fields area of Washington City and provide residents with convenient access to the St. George Regional Airport and alternative options to access Interstate 15.
“It’s a good project that will help alleviate traffic concerns with future development,” Fonnesbeck said.
The extensions will also provide easier access for patrons to visit The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Red Cliffs Temple in Southern Utah.
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