{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://maloy.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1907", "BLM Approves Northern Corridor Highway Plan in Southern Utah", "2026-01-22", "2026", "2026-01", "Republican", "House", "UT", "Celeste Maloy", "M001228", "maloy.house.gov", "maloy", "https://maloy.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx?DocumentTypeID=27", "scraper", "Yesterday, the Bureau of Land Management approved the construction of the Northern Corridor, advancing a long-delayed transportation project critical to Washington County\u2019s growing communities.\n\nThe project will connect Washington Parkway and Red Hills Parkway, allowing traffic to bypass downtown St. George and improving safety and travel time for residents throughout southern Utah. The decision also expands protected lands, adding thousands of acres of desert tortoise habitat and preserving popular recreation areas.\n\nThe Northern Corridor fulfills a requirement established by Congress in 2009, when it created the Red Cliffs National Conservation Area and directed the Secretary of the Interior to preserve a northern transportation route across federal land. The approved corridor reflects years of planning and environmental review and was designed to address traffic congestion while minimizing impacts to public lands and wildlife habitat.\n\n\u201cI\u2019ve worked on this issue for over a decade\u2014first as a deputy county attorney in Washington County, then as a congressional staffer, and finally as a member of Congress,\u201d said Congresswoman Celeste Maloy (R, UT-02). \u201cThis decision is the result of decades of work, research, collaboration, and dedication on the part of a long list of elected officials in Washington County. After years of study and careful planning, a solution is now in place. The Northern Corridor balances conservation with the transportation needs of a fast-growing region. I\u2019m grateful to local officials, the BLM, and the Trump administration for working together to move this project forward.\u201d\n\nCongressman Bruce Westerman (R, AR-04), chair of the House Committee on Natural Resources, said, \u201cThe Northern Corridor is a long-overdue and vital infrastructure project for the residents of St. George and this announcement from the Bureau of Land Management is a major win for Utahns. I\u2019d like to applaud Representative Maloy for her steadfast leadership on this issue, including hosting the Committee for a field hearing in her district last Congress to bring attention to this problem.\u201d\n\nApproval of the right-of-way restores the original transportation plan contemplated by Congress and provides long-term certainty for local communities, public land managers, and conservation partners as the region continues to grow.\n\nState and local leaders praised the decision as a long-awaited step forward.\n\n\u201cThe Northern Corridor will improve local traffic, while providing significant protections for the Mojave Desert Tortoise and safeguard popular recreation areas from potential development on nearby lands,\u201d said Redge Johnson, director of the Public Lands Policy Coordinating Office. \u201cThis decision marks a breakthrough for a planning process that has held the county\u2019s needs hostage for far too long.\u201d\n\nWashington County Commissioner Adam Snow stated, \u201cWashington County is so pleased with the Trump Administration and its work that led to the federal decision announced today. This plan is the only feasible way to balance conservation and provide for our county\u2019s transportation and recreation needs.\u201d", 1, "2026-04-04T05:28:40Z", "2026-04-06T21:01:44Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://maloy.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1907"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.7339930161833763, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}