Multiple Agencies Sue to Stop Approved Northern Corridor

A new legal battle has erupted in southern Utah over the proposed Northern Corridor Highway, a four-lane road planned to link Ivins, St. George and Washington City through the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area. Last month the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) reapproved the project — reversing a 2024 decision that rejected building a highway through sensitive habitat — and soon after local conservation and environmental organizations filed a lawsuit challenging that approval in federal court.

MULTIPLE AGENCIES SUE

The lawsuit, filed February 4 by six groups including Conserve Southwest Utah, the Center for Biological Diversity and WildEarth Guardians, targets not only the BLM but also the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Plaintiffs argue the agencies violated multiple federal laws — among them the Endangered Species Act and the National Environmental Policy Act — by approving construction through critical habitat for the threatened Mojave desert tortoise and congressionally designated conservation land.

OTHER OPTIONS

Conservation leaders contend better transportation alternatives exist, such as expanding existing roadways like Red Hills Parkway, that would relieve traffic without cutting through the conservation area. Stacey Wittek of Conserve Southwest Utah said the community “opposes a highway through what should be protected lands” and had to act to stop “this illegal project.”

“ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL”

Supporters argue the corridor is vital for future growth and congestion relief in a rapidly expanding region. St. George Mayor Jimmie Hughes expressed frustration with the lawsuit, saying, “It’s absolutely crucial that this road goes through,” and emphasizing compromises that have been made to protect additional habitat and open space alongside transportation needs.

LISTEN HERE: COUNTY COMMISSIONER ADAM SNOW ON WHY THE ROAD IS BETTER FOR THE TORTOISE.

As this decades-long controversy continues, both sides are gearing up for what promises to be drawn-out litigation with significant implications for public land use, endangered species protections, and transportation planning in Washington County.