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WASHINGTON, Washington County — Traveling between the eastern and western portions of Washington County has become smoother with the completion of the interchange at Southern Parkway and George Washington Boulevard.
Jordan Hess, a spokesman for the city of Washington, told St. George News the project was years in the making. The interchange will make it easier to access the Washington Fields, Sand Hollow and Hurricane areas via the parkway, also known as state Route 7.
Hess said the project was initially estimated to cost about $8 million. However, with inflation and the COVID-19 pandemic, the price tag was closer to $13 million. So the city of Washington went to the Utah Legislature and asked for an appropriation, and lawmakers responded with $2.5 million to help cover the price increase.
"The city's contribution was almost five times what it originally was going to be. So we looked under every couch cushion to find any change we could. But this is an important project because it will connect our county east to west," Hess said. "Eventually, George Washington Boulevard will continue all the way through to Dixie Drive in St. George near the convention center. If you hop on the Southern Parkway here, you can get to Hurricane."
