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Regional Purgatory Road plan calls for new three‑lane route and 400‑ft bridge; partners focus on right‑of‑way and funding
Summary
Washington City and Hurricane City engineers described a multi‑agency plan to build a three‑lane Purgatory Road connecting SR‑9 to Southern Parkway with a roughly 400‑ft bridge over the Virgin River; speakers said right‑of‑way acquisition and a roughly $25–$40 million total cost (bridge ~ $15–$20M) are key near‑term tasks.
Washington City Council received a multi‑agency update Feb. 25 on the Purgatory Road project, a planned three‑lane collector that would link SR‑9 and the Southern Parkway and require a roughly 400‑foot bridge over the Virgin River. Washington City engineer Paul Mogul and Hurricane City engineer Arthur Learon said the project was advanced through a 2019 environmental assessment and is being developed jointly by Washington City, Hurricane City and Washington County with state and federal partner involvement.
The engineers said the preferred alternative from the EA uses existing alignments where possible, extends south through Purgatory Flat, and includes a long bridge to span the river’s floodplain. “The selected alternative identified through the environmental assessment is a new three‑lane roadway connecting SR9 to Southern Parkway,” Mogul said. Learon described the project as a regional infrastructure investment, not a single‑entity effort.
Why it matters: council members emphasized safety and emergency‑access concerns in the developing area. Several speakers said existing neighborhoods and industrial parcels have limited north‑south access and increasing truck and industrial traffic makes a second access route urgent.
Key details and next steps: Hurricane City reported roughly $1.1 million is available for design work (including $374,000 in state‑exchanged federal funds, $100,000 in local budget, and COG funds earmarked for right‑of‑way). Civil Science submitted a $955,000 proposal to produce 100% construction drawings for the Hurricane City reconfiguration; the southern segments will be advanced to 60% design to support right‑of‑way instruments. Learon said those funds would produce legal descriptions and plats needed to begin property acquisition.
On costs and phasing, engineers gave wide ranges. Staff estimated the total project connection could run between $25 million and $40 million; the bridge alone was characterized as likely in the $15–$20 million ballpark. Council members and county staff discussed phasing options — for example building a two‑lane spine first versus constructing the full bridge and associated approaches — to reduce near‑term costs while protecting the ultimate alignment.
Obstacles and coordination: speakers flagged several real‑world obstacles. The route crosses property owned or used by a private pit operation referred to as Western Rock; Arthur Learon said Western Rock was invited to EA scoping and correspondence is recorded in the EA, but negotiations remain. Todd Edwards, public works director for Washington County, noted portions of the alignment cross county land (including a landfill and shooting sports park) and some BLM parcels that will require separate right‑of‑way procedures. Edwards said the COG is already programming funds for corridor preservation and that county staff would expect annexation in some areas as development proceeds.
Funding strategy: officials said the project will be funded by a combination of federal, state, regional and local sources, and stressed that federal participation historically favored projects where right‑of‑way is secured. Learon and others urged a coordinated funding push — including federal appropriations, MPO programming and state special appropriations — and recommended forming a partner committee to centralize pursuit of grants and earmarks.
What comes next: Hurricane City anticipates approving a consultant contract to begin the design phase, followed by 60% design documentation for the south segments, property negotiations, and pursuit of phased construction funding. Council members asked staff to continue coordination with county partners, the MPO and federal offices and to return with refined cost estimates as design advances.
The presentation closed with council support for continued coordination and a request for staff to return with follow‑up briefings and a right‑of‑way acquisition plan. "We need to give all hands on deck to get whatever financing is available," a council member said, summarizing the shared sense of urgency.
