A groundbreaking ceremony of the “Energy Corridor” on Aug. 13, 2024. (Photo courtesy of the Lieutenant Governor’s Office)
After years of negotiation with the Navajo Nation and environmental studies considering archaeological reclamation sites that had to be preserved, a southeastern Utah area will get updated roads in what the Utah Department of Transportation calls the Energy Corridor.
The hope is to serve and improve safety for residents, visitors in the Four Corners area, and workers in the petroleum extraction industry as they travel in the region.
The San Juan County 54-mile stretch encompasses state Route 162 and state Route 262, near Montezuma Creek, extending through Aneth, ending in the Colorado border.
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UDOT has been studying making improvements to the roads since 2006. After years without resurfacing and only some maintenance efforts, those roads had become rough and bumpy, Devin Squire, a project manager at UDOT said.