The Many Faces of Eno Drive

November 27, 2002

The Original Proposal

Eno Drive (also known as the Durham Northeast/Northwest Loop) was first put on a map as a potential transportation project over thirty years ago. In 1989 it was included in the Highway Trust Fund legislation, which mandated a “multi-lane facility on new location from I-85 west of Durham to US 70 east of Durham.” 

That “facility” became a six lane road east of Roxboro Road and four lanes between Roxboro Road and I-85 to the west. On its western end it started on Roxboro Road just south of West Point on the Eno and followed the south side of the Eno River. It paralleled the river and in places formed the boundary of the city and state parks. To see a map of the original proposal, click here.

The proposed road was highly destructive to neighborhoods and the parks and was vigorously opposed by the Eno River Association throughout the years.

Version 2 - Northern Durham Parkway

In the late 1990's a community effort led by the Eno River Association, the Chamber of Commerce, Durham Board of County Commissioners and the Durham City Council proposed a new route known as the Northern Durham Parkway. It followed the original alignment to Hamlin road north of I-85. At Hamlin the proposed route turned east to Red Mill Road, then north and west again to connect to Roxboro Road north of the Eno River, on a new alignment just north of Snow Hill Road.

On April 29, 2002 the NC Department of Transportation rejected the proposed route, citing three "fatal flaws". NCDOT then told Durham Commissioners and Council that it was up to them to advise DOT on what was needed. To view DOT's analysis, click here. The Eno River Association hired E. H. Pechan & Associates to review the analysis. To see the review, click here.

The City and County held a joint public hearing in June, 2002. Following the hearing they established an ad hoc committee composed of three members of City Council, two County Commissioners and one representative from the Chamber of Commerce and the Eno River Association.

The Ad Hoc Committee--Many New Versions

The ad hoc committee met over the summer of 2002 and studied numerous alternatives, all given numerical designations. Option 4 followed the original alignment of Eno Drive from US70 to Roxboro Road, where it terminated. Option 7 followed the original alignment to Old Oxford Highway, then north on that road to Snow Hill Road. From that point it went west to Guess Road, then turned south down Guess and returned to I-85. As many as 10 other versions were studied as well.

The ad hoc committee narrowly voted to recommend to the Transportation Advisory Committee (click here for more on the TAC) that the TAC include Option 4 on the Long Range Transportation Plan (click here for more on the LRTP). A minor uproar ensued. The Durham Board of County Commissioners voted to recommend excluding all of Eno Drive from the LRTP.

From No Eno Drive to "Hybrid Option 7"

On September 18, 2002 the TAC voted to approve a draft LRTP that did not include any of Eno Drive. More uproar ensued and a public hearing was held by the TAC. Then on Nov. 6, the day following elections, the TAC voted to include in the "draft fiscally constrained LRTP" a version of Option 7 "for public comment". That version, Hybrid Option 7, starts at US70, follows the original alignment to Old Oxford Highway, goes north on Old Oxford, then east on Snow Hill Road and ends at Roxboro Road. Because this route resembles the Northern Durham Parkway proposed earlier, it's also called the Revised Northern Durham Parkway.

Where to from here?

An informal working group gathered on Nov. 19 and crafted a compromise solution that supports the Revised Northern Durham Parkway under specific conditions. Read a full report here.

The TAC will hold another hearing on December 4 at 7:00 pm to take public comment on the current version of the LRTP, including Eno Drive. They then meet on December 18 at 9:00 am to approve a final LRTP.

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