WASHINGTON CITY, Utah — The Utah Inland Port Authority Board has approved the Greater Washington Project Area, establishing a new partnership with Washington City to support strategic infrastructure investment and long-term economic diversification in southern Utah.
The approximately 320-acre project area is centered on the Sunrise Valley Industrial Park and planned industrial expansion areas in Washington City. The plan identifies the Purgatory Road corridor as its primary infrastructure priority. The proposed connection would improve access between Washington City, Hurricane and surrounding areas while supporting freight movement, roadway safety and regional mobility.
“This partnership creates new opportunities for the future of Washington City,” said Mayor Kress Staheli. “By investing in transportation and utility infrastructure now, we can encourage responsible industrial development, strengthen our economy, and create more opportunities for residents to build careers close to home.”
The Purgatory Road corridor has been identified through previous regional planning efforts as an important transportation investment. Once completed, it is expected to provide an alternative route for industrial and regional traffic, reduce pressure on existing local roads and improve connections to Interstate 15 and other southern Utah transportation assets.
The project area is also located within approximately 10 miles of the St. George Regional Airport, which is advancing terminal, taxiway and air traffic control improvements. Although Washington County does not have direct rail service, businesses in the area can connect by truck to rail-served logistics assets at UIPA’s Iron Springs Project Area in Iron County.
The approved recruitment strategy prioritizes industries that align with the region’s workforce, infrastructure and resource needs, including advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, aviation-support industries, technology, life sciences, medical device manufacturing, outdoor products and corporate or regional operations.
“Washington City and UIPA partnered to help move a clearly identified regional priority forward: infrastructure that can keep pace with growth,” said Ben Hart, UIPA executive director. “This approval gives the city and its partners a long-term tool to help advance the Purgatory Road connection, bring more serviced industrial land to market and compete for businesses that create strong jobs while respecting Southern Utah’s resource constraints.”
ABOUT UIPA:
As a state entity, UIPA has a unique role to coordinate a statewide economic development and logistics system to ensure long-term sustainability and statewide value. To learn more about UIPA project areas, developments and its members, visit inlandportauthority.utah.gov.