A federal decision on a proposed highway in Washington County “blatantly disregards” Utah voices and the law, Utah’s congressional delegation says.
The Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday they are amending an incidental take permit for the Northern Corridor Highway and instead endorsing the Red Hills Parkway Expressway alternative. The agencies said in a statement the alternative “represents the lowest impact to the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and is predicted to best resolve east-west traffic congestion in Washington County.”
A statement from Sen. Mike Lee, Reps. John Curtis, Blake Moore, Burgess Owens, Celeste Maloy and Representative-elect Mike Kennedy says the agency’s decision “blatantly disregards local voices and the law.”
The Utah members of Congress said the county’s permit for the Northern Corridor Highway was “negotiated in good faith” and has been part of the county’s transportation management plan for several years.