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Officials seek $2 million state boost to shore up Coral Pink Sand Dunes park access road
Summary
Representatives from District 69 and county officials told the Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee Wednesday they are asking the state to contribute $2 million to make the county access road to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park safe and passable.
Representatives from District 69 and county officials told the Transportation Infrastructure Appropriations Subcommittee Wednesday they are asking the state to contribute $2 million to make the county access road to Coral Pink Sand Dunes State Park safe and passable.
Representative Logan Monson, who represents District 69, said the project has already secured nearly $6,000,000 in federal appropriations and $1,480,000 from the State Parks Fund and State Park Access Fund, and is now seeking $2,000,000 in state money to combine with those sources and federal lands access program (FLAP) applications. Monson said the road is about 18 miles long and “in considerable disrepair.”
Monson and a county commissioner said the county intends to continue maintaining and operating the road and is not asking the state to assume ownership at this time. A county official told the subcommittee the county is prepared to perform as much work as possible in-house to lower costs and coordinate with UDOT and federal partners.
Presenters warned the road’s condition has statewide economic implications. Monson noted Zion National Park plans to close oversized-vehicle traffic through parts of the park in mid-2026, which the presenters said is likely to shift more large vehicles and international tour buses onto the Coral Pink access road. Representative Lisonbee said poor visitor experiences could damage the state’s tourism reputation, noting “there's nothing worse than killing your advertising dollars when social media blows up because of a bad experience at our parks.”
Project cost estimates presented to the subcommittee ranged: presenters said the full reconstruction is roughly an $18,000,000 effort, and that an earlier ask had been about $8,000,000 but the current state RFA was scaled down. The committee discussed coordination with Arizona and federal agencies on gravel pit access and other construction logistics; Senator Winardin (as transcribed) and council participants said Bureau of Indian Affairs cooperation on local gravel sources has been important to reducing overall cost.
No formal vote or appropriation occurred at the hearing; presenters asked the subcommittee to include the Coral Pink Sand Dunes Road RFA in the upcoming prioritization and the voting packet.
