UDOT‑led fiber project would run SR‑9 through Zion to Mount Carmel Junction, officials say
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Summary
State and consulting teams presented a federally funded plan to install a 144‑strand fiber‑optic backbone along SR‑9 and Zion Mount Carmel Highway to improve connectivity, traffic management and emergency communications; design is complete and construction advertising was imminent with a required finish date of Dec. 31, 2026.
John Kissinger, lead designer with Kimberly Horner & Associates, told the Hurricane City Council the SR‑9/Zion Mount Carmel Highway fiber project will install a backbone that extends from I‑15 and the Purgatory UDOT maintenance office through Hurricane, La Verkin, Virgin, Springdale and Zion National Park to Mount Carmel Junction.
Kissinger said the design is complete and that construction advertising was scheduled to be released shortly. He described a mix of construction methods planned along the corridor — trenching and plowing in rural rights‑of‑way, directional drilling through built areas, a CleanFast trenchless approach inside Zion National Park to minimize surface disturbance, and refurbishment and reuse of an existing tunnel conduit for cable inside the Zion tunnel. "This is an important communications project that brings fiber optic connectivity and Internet service to all the communities along the route," Kissinger said.
A project representative emphasized the expected benefits: improved last‑mile opportunities for residents, stronger connections for emergency services and enhanced real‑time traffic management through UDOT’s intelligent transportation systems. The project team said the cable will include a 144‑strand fiber optic cable for most segments and smaller micro‑fiber in constrained areas such as bridge crossings.
Speakers asked several technical and schedule questions. Councilmembers pressed how the work would be performed in the tunnel and through the park; Kissinger said the park requires work to be scheduled in September and October and that tunnel work will involve nighttime full closures for roughly 10–15 days.
Staff noted federal funding carries a construction completion deadline of Dec. 31, 2026, which the project team said makes the schedule fast‑track once a contractor is selected. The team also said it has developed community outreach tools — a project website, a hotline and weekly construction email notices once work begins — and offered to return to the council with periodic updates during construction.
The project team said it is coordinating with the National Park Service and UDOT on environmental requirements and construction timing to minimize impacts. They said the aim is to minimize surface impacts while providing a long‑term backbone that will allow future last‑mile connections to households and businesses.
The presentation concluded with the project team offering contact information for resident questions and pledging periodic updates to the council as construction begins.