The Town of Virgin, located in Utah, launched the Zion Corridor Park & Ride on March 1, introducing a new transportation option for visitors, employees and residents traveling to Springdale and Zion National Park ahead of upcoming vehicle restrictions on a key park roadway.
The initiative is a partnership between the Town of Virgin, Zion White Bison Resort, SunTran and the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office. The service is designed to provide an alternative travel option before new restrictions take effect June 7, on the Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway.
Under the new service, travelers can park at the Zion Corridor Park & Ride lot at Zion White Bison Resort, located at 400 Utah State Route 9 in Virgin, and board a shuttle to Springdale.
Riders will arrive at Lion Boulevard, where they can walk or connect to additional shuttle services serving Zion Canyon Village, Zion National Park and nearby destinations.
The Zion White Bison shuttle service began operations March 1, while SunTran bus service started March 2. When SunTran buses are not operating, the Zion White Bison shuttle will provide supplemental transportation.
The service launch comes several months before restrictions affecting large vehicles on the Zion–Mt. Carmel Highway. Beginning June 7, vehicles exceeding certain size and weight limits will no longer be permitted to travel the route between Canyon Junction and the park’s East Entrance.
According to the announcement, vehicles longer than 35 feet, 9 inches; wider than 7 feet, 10 inches; taller than 11 feet, 4 inches; or weighing more than 50,000 pounds will be prohibited from the roadway.
Combined vehicles such as trucks with trailers cannot exceed 26 feet from hitch to rear axle and 50 feet overall. The restrictions aim to improve safety, protect historic infrastructure and reduce delays along the 10.7-mile highway segment.
According to a press release, safety studies conducted in 1989 and 2019 and validated by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration determined that large vehicles cannot safely maintain their lane or pass through the Zion–Mt. Carmel Tunnel within a single lane of travel.
The studies also found some vehicles exceed weight limits on four bridges along the route.
The park-and-ride service will charge $5 for a one-way trip. A $100 unlimited monthly pass will be available for SunTran service, though it will not be accepted on the Zion White Bison shuttle.