State Route 7 - Southern Parkway
Looking west from the previous east end of SR 7 at Airport Parkway. Photo by Garrett Smith. - 07/07/2011
Utah State Route 7 is Southern Parkway, a 26.33 mile long freeway loop east from Interstate 15 to SR 9 in Washington County. Encircling St. George to the south through developing areas, SR 7 provides access to St. George Regional Airport (SGU). The state route starts at a single point urban interchange (SPUI) with Interstate 15, opposite Sun River Parkway west to the Sun River community. The initial 5.91 miles are built out with four overall lanes. The remainder of the route carries just two lanes.
Southern Parkway curves northeast from Airport Parkway to run alongside Warner Ridge to Punchbowl Dome (el. 3,533 feet) in the city of Washington. The state route navigates northeast, from a point 1.3 miles north of the Warner Valley Road underpass, through a valley east of Washington Dome (el. 3,261 ft) to a diamond interchange connecting with Washington Dam Road at milepost 15. Continuing into the city of Hurricane, SR 7 passes by Sand Hollow Resort Golf Course ahead of Sand Hollow State Park. The freeway turns north around Sand Hollow Reservoir to SR 9 northwest of Sullivan Knoll (el. 4,019 feet). 2800 West extends north from the state route end to 600 North.
Following nearly two years of construction, Segment 1 of the Southern Parkway, stretching 3.4 miles between Interstate 15 and River Road (Exit 3), opened on July 7, 2009. The succeeding 3.9 miles of SR 7 (Segment 2), from River Road east to Airport Parkway, opened by September 2010.1 Airport Parkway was also built as a new terrain route northwest from Exit 7 to the new St. George Regional Airport (SGU).
State Route 7 Utah Guide
Southern Parkway West - 58 photos
Work on two additional portions of SR 7 continued through January 2014. Opening then was Segment 3A, an extension of Southern Parkway north from Airport Parkway to Warner Valley Road in the city of Washington, and Segment 4A, a separate two lane highway leading east from Washington Dam Road to Sand Hollow Road in the city of Hurricane. The 4.5 mile link (Segment 3A) between those sections was built at a cost of $21 million.1 Bringing the total cost of Southern Parkway to $175 million at that point, it opened to traffic on January 12, 2016.2
Costing $75 million, work on Segment 5 built the parkway north from 3000 South to SR 9 in Hurricane. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the final link of Southern Parkway took place on May 19, 2021 (Cabrera, 2021). Plans for Segment 6 upgraded SR 9 to a limited access road, completing the 32 mile loop back to Interstate 15 in north Washington.2
East
SR 7 curves southward from Interstate 15 to quickly meet Astragalus Drive at a folded diamond interchange (Exit 1).
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Exit 1 loops away from SR 7 (Southern Parkway) east to Astragalus Drive at Black Mountain Drive west. The rural exchange at the north end of Big Valley is slated for future development. Photo taken 08/12/11.
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Proceeding southeast from Astragalus Drive, SR 7 continues through largely undeveloped areas alongside Atkinville Wash.
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The ensuing exit joins SR 7 (Southern Parkway) with River Road north and Mohave County 5 south into Arizona.
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The diamond interchange (Exit 5) with River Road straddles the Arizona state line in one half mile.
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River Road winds northward from Exit 3 by White Dome (el. 2,861 feet) to Fort Pierce Industrial Park. County Road 5 is an unpaved road south to BLM Land through Big Valley.
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Continuing east, Southern Parkway makes a pair of gradual S-curves through undeveloped lane south of White Dome. Development appears further east at Exit 7.
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A diamond interchange, unnumbered as of 2016, connects SR 7 (Southern Parkway) with Desert Canyons Parkway. The parkway serves development both north and south of the freeway.
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Southern Parkway narrows to two lanes ahead of the Desert Canyons Parkway underpass. The expressway advances east across Fort Pierce Wash to meet Airport Parkway in one mile.
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A yellow caution sign preceded the temporary end of Southern Parkway at the diamond interchange (Exit 7) with Airport Parkway. The parkway was completed with two lanes northward to Warner Valley Road in January 2014.
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Airport Parkway angles northwest from forthcoming Exit 7 to a roundabout with Desert Canyons Parkway. The parkway turns northeast from there to the St. George Regional Airport (SGU) passenger terminal. SGU Airport opened in January 2011.
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All traffic defaulted onto Airport Parkway prior to the 3.2 mile extension of Southern Parkway north to Warner Valley Road. Areas surrounding this exchange are a part of the 8,000 acres of proposed new development.2
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References:
- "New Southern Parkway segment opens." The Independent (UT), January 12, 2016.
- "Long-awaited link made on Southern Parkway." The Spectrum (UT), January 12, 2016.
Cabrera, E. (2021, May 19). Washington County's 'Southern Parkway' SR-7 makes its long-awaited connection to SR-9. St. George Spectrum & Daily News. https://www.thespectrum.com/story/news/2021/05/19/southern-parkway-sr-7-washington-county-passes-sand-hollow/5170523001/
Photo Credits:
- Brent Ivy: 08/12/11
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Page Updated Monday November 03, 2025.