Eno Drive not dead

By BARBARA BARRETT, Staff Writer

DURHAM -- A new version of the loop formerly known as Eno Drive reappeared Wednesday on a proposed long-range transportation plan, meaning the much-maligned road through northern Durham County might yet be alive.

But a final decision on the transportation plan isn't expected until at least May, meaning plenty of time remains for argument. The newest version of the loop differs from the original Eno Drive proposal in that it goes farther north, running close to Treyburn Corporate Park and crossing the Eno River.

The Durham-Chapel Hill-Carrboro transportation advisory committee, a collection of elected officials, is charged with signing off on the long-range plan. The plan shows highway, transit, bicycle and pedestrian improvements through 2025 and is required to meet federal air-quality standards and pull down federal transportation financing.

The plan reviewed Wednesday includes $6.3 billion in improvements throughout the region. More than half involve highway improvements and maintenance.

But by far the most controversial issue was the Northeast-Northwest Loop, the official name for the proposed road.

The transportation advisory committee voted down the loop in September, citing environmental and neighborhood impacts. But transportation engineers from state and local jurisdictions said Wednesday they reinserted the loop in response to public comments and because they thought it would alleviate projected gridlock.

Janet D'Ignazio, lead planner for the state Department of Transportation, said her agency could support the option.

The committee has tentatively scheduled a Nov. 6 meeting to vote on the staff proposal, and there will be a public comment period before another vote Dec. 18. More reviews and votes are scheduled before May.

Real estate interests and business leaders have argued for the loop, saying the route is imperative for economic development because it would serve as a crucial link between Raleigh-Durham International Airport and Treyburn Corporate Park and other northern businesses.

State transportation leaders, including Ty Cox, a member of the state Board of Transportation and former Durham City Council member, say the loop would reduce problems on Interstate 85, U.S. 70 and U.S. 501.

Some neighborhood interests and environmentalists fear the route would harm natural resources along the Eno River and the Falls Lake watershed and would contribute to sprawl.

The option presented by engineers Wednesday is a compromise that had earned some support more than a month ago. It was largely designed by Milo Pyne, an environmentalist and board member of the Eno River Association.

The route links U.S. 70 and I-85 in the south, then heads north by way of Old Oxford Highway and Snow Hill Road. A new alignment then curves west to Roxboro Road in northern Durham County.

The option had initially earned the endorsement of Durham County Commissioner Ellen Reckhow and the tentative support of the Greater Durham Chamber of Commerce, but it later fizzled in the face of public opposition.