Residents of St. George, Utah — the first major stop for drivers heading north from Las Vegas — say they feel “heartbroken” after President Donald Trump pulled back a federal grant that was meant to ease one of the city’s most persistent traffic headaches.
According to Politico’s Chris Marquette and Sam Ogozalek, Washington County, where St. George is located, voted decisively for Trump in 2024, giving him more than 75 percent of the vote.
The grant, worth $87.6 million, was intended to relieve congestion caused by the interstate highway cutting through town. Now, with the funds eliminated under the budget bill Trump signed in July, St. George is left struggling to find a solution.
“There’s a 2-mile stretch of that highway where you can’t get through,” said Republican City Council member Jimmie Hughes. “This project really was an answer to a lot of congestion. It’s a little bit heartbreaking, but we’re not giving up.”
Rep. Celeste Maloy (R-UT), whose district includes St. George, has not addressed the situation. She previously voted for the same budget bill that erased the funding, describing it at the time as containing “many wins for Utah.”
Despite the setback, local leaders hope to push forward with a scaled-back version of the project. Kevin Kitchen, spokesperson for the Utah Department of Transportation, acknowledged that “it is too early to determine the details of what that will look like without the $87.6 million.”
