Meeting of Nov. 19

On November 19 Mayor Bill Bell of Durham called together an informal working group of many of the citizens and officials working on the Long Range Transportation Plan, including Eno Drive. Attending the meeting were most of Durham’s representatives on the Transportation Advisory Committee, Durham’s representative on the Board of Transportation, members of Durham’s legislative delegation, representatives of the Eno River Association and the Chamber of Commerce, and citizens representing a variety of neighborhoods including central, north and far east Durham as well as members of Durham's transportation staff.

Under the Mayor’s leadership, a unified position was hammered out and all present agreed to support it going forward. The agreement includes a number of projects to be funded by the Highway Trust Fund, and prioritizes those projects in this order:

1.      East End Connector, including improvements on US70 from NC98 to Lynn Road.

2.      US70, from Lynn Road to Wake Co. line, widened to six lanes with limited access.

3.      I-85N, from the US70 interchange to Red Mill Road, widened to six lanes.

4.      Northwest Loop: A 4 lane facility on new alignment from Old Oxford Highway to I-85 at Glenn School Road, and a 2 lane facility on new alignment from Old Oxford Highway to Roxboro Road parallel to Snow Hill Road. Included in this project is right-of-way acquisition for widening Old Oxford Highway between the two new facilities. No widening is to occur before it is needed. Speed limits are not to exceed 45 mph.

5.      Northeast Loop: A 4 lane facility built on new alignment with a speed limit not to exceed 45 mph.

6.      Roxboro Road, from Duke Street to Goodwin Road, widening to six lanes.

Projects 4 and 5 represent portions of Eno Drive. The representatives present for the Eno River Association reluctantly agreed to the overall plan because: a) it provides a new alignment north of Snow Hill Road, to lessen the impact on residents there; b) it limits the four lane portion north of I-85 to the area south of Old Oxford; and c) it lays out a reasonable manner for approaching the design and construction of these pieces (4 & 5). By beginning the first three projects before beginning projects 4 & 5, the traffic demand on 4 & 5 will be much more reasonable.

It was also agreed that another project of local importance that needs high priority (but that would not be a Highway Trust Fund project) is extending Carver Street to the Old Oxford Highway.

This is what the Durham members of the Transportation Advisory Committee will recommend be adopted as part of the Long Range Transportation Plan. The Transportation Advisory Committee has to approve the final LRTP, and then the NC Board of Transportation will need to sign off on it as well.

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