ST. GEORGE — The South Entrance of Zion National Park may receive a face-lift to improve traffic flow and pedestrian access, including the installation of roundabouts and bridges.

An online public meeting held Tuesday night addressed safety concerns and the environmental impacts of proposed improvements. The National Park Service will accept public comments on the environmental impact study until April 10.

The first phase of work to help alleviate traffic congestion at the South Entrance has been completed, said Zion National Park superintendent Jeff Bradybaugh said.

The project’s next phase is inside the park just beyond the entrance stations and leading up to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center, Bradybaugh said, adding, “The current road configuration past the entrance stations results in congestion and some shuttle delays in this area.”

In recent years, Zion’s annual visitation has increased to 5 million visitors and the current roads and facilities were not built for that growth.

The proposed project would redesign the roadway from the South Entrance Fee Station to the Zion Canyon Visitor Center by installing two roundabouts, reconfiguring parking for large vehicles and improving Zion Shuttle travel. Bradybaugh said the proposal would also add a new vehicle and pedestrian bridge and reroute trails for a smoother flow of pedestrians and cyclists. Vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic would be separated.

Erin Dempsey, Zion National Park resource management and research division lead,  noted that 70% of visitors enter the park at the South Entrance. Much of this traffic utilizes the two-lane Watchman Campground Bridge, which crosses the North Fork of the Virgin River, to access the Visitor Center, parking area and other park amenities on the south side of the river.

The current layout of the South Entrance roadway results in traffic congestion, hiker, bicycle, driver conflicts and shuttle delays, Dempsey said, adding that the current infrastructure can also be confusing and potentially hazardous for visitors and employees.

Dempsey discussed the park’s challenge of balancing access and visitor experiences with environmental protection. She explained that the proposed construction project could impact the Mexican spotted owl and other wildlife.

“The Mexican spotted owl is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act,” she said. “These owls are often found in steep canyons with old-growth mixed conifer forests.”

These small owls live in caves and canyon walls in Zion Canyon. The adult owl has brown and white spots and often perches on cliff ledges. The juvenile owls feature fluffy white feathers.

“Zion is lucky enough to have some of the highest concentrations of Mexican spotted owls in Utah and the entire canyon is designated as critical habitat for the species,” Dempsey said.

The park coordinated with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service during the planning process for the proposed project and further details can be found in the environmental impact study under mitigating measures, she added.

“If a Mexican spotted owl is observed within the project area, work comes to a stop and then the project area is resurveyed daily until the owls are confirmed to have left that area,” Dempsey said.

Under this proposal, Dempsey said the Zion Vegetation Program would remove and replant native vegetation before construction begins. Disturbed areas would be revegetated according to the natural spacing, abundance and diversity of native plant species.

Another speaker during the meeting, Chief of Facilities Management Bry Carter, said if the park does not make improvements, there will be no other way to get to the South Campground or the Pa’rus Trail except to walk on the Watchman Bridge, which doesn’t accommodate pedestrians and vehicles very well. If the new four-lane bridge is built, the pedestrian pathway will be separate from the traffic flow.

Carter added that Zion National Park is consulting with the Utah State Historic Preservation Office to develop an agreement document to record the bridge’s character and history.

During the proposed improvements to the park, visitors could experience temporary disruptions to traffic flow, traffic control measures and increased noise. Dempsey said the park plans to inform people ahead of time through various means, such as posting updates on its website and social media pages and issuing news releases.

Gathering information and input from various sources is essential to their planning process, she added.

Proposed changes include:

• Removing some vegetation and trees to accommodate changes such as the roundabouts and road realignment.
• Replacing the Watchman Campground Bridge.
• Restoring the North Fork of the Virgin River to natural freer-flowing conditions.
• Constructing a new four-lane vehicular bridge with a longer span upstream of the existing Watchman Campground Bridge, which was built in 1965.
• Constructing a pedestrian trail underpass bridge to connect to the Pa’rus Trail, which runs north-south along the east side of the North Fork of the Virgin River.

Areas affected by the proposal include:

• The Zion Canyon South Entrance Fee Station.
• Zion Canyon Visitor Center.
• Watchman Campground Road.
• Watchman Campground Bridge.
• Large vehicle parking.
• Shuttle facility.
• Employee parking.
• Access to the Zion-Mt. Carmel Highway.
• South Campground.
• Watchman Campground and the southern portion of the park.

At the end of the meeting, Jonathan Shafer, public affairs specialist for the park, read some questions the public asked during the online meeting, including questions about parking, bicycle access and more.

After gathering public comments, the park will use the input to develop an action plan.

Learn more about the meeting and read the park’s environmental impact study documents at this link.

To share comments online and learn more about the project, visit this website. If you prefer to mail your comments, they must be postmarked by April 10.

Or mail comments to:

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