DOT nixes portion of Southern Loop, for now

DOT nixes portion of Southern Loop, for now
Smoky Mountain News
April 16, 2008
By Jennifer Garlesky • Staff Writer

The N.C. Department of Transportation abandoned plans to build the
western half of Jackson County's controversial Southern Loop, signaling
a partial win for opponents to the project.

The DOT has also changed its terminology of the Southern Loop from
"multi-lane freeway" to "roadway." Opponents had previously argued the
DOT's official description of the Southern Loop as a multi-lane freeway
would preclude less intrusive designs, such as a boulevard, and
pigeonhole engineers into a freeway concept.

DOT's decision has members of the Smart Roads Alliance, a grassroots
organization pushing for alternatives to the Southern Loop, feeling
relieved.

"We feel great about DOT's decision," said Jeannette Evans, chairwoman
of Smart Roads Alliance and member of Jackson County's transportation
task force. "We applaud DOT and we are very thankful."

Scrapping half the Loop

The Southern Loop is supposed to relieve traffic on N.C. 107, the main
commercial corridor in Jackson. It was slated to bisect Jackson County,
running from U.S. 23-74 north of Sylva to U.S. 441 south of Dillsboro,
crossing N.C. 107 in between. The DOT has removed half the Southern
Loop from its to-do list, the half between N.C. 107 and U.S. 441. The
decision came from the 14-member N.C. Board of Transportation earlier
this month.

It came at the request of several entities: Conrad Burrell, DOT board
member from the region; Joel Setzer, head of the DOT for the region,
and the Southwestern Rural Planning Transportation Advisory Committee.

"It will allow DOT to look at more critical areas of transportation
needs," Burrell said of the removal.

He says the western section of the Southern Loop is no longer needed
because other road projects will serve to relieve congestion, such as
the paving of South River Road and upgrades to N.C. 116. Both of these
roadways run through Webster.

The biggest congestion relief will come from a new entrance road to
Southwestern Community College off N.C. 107. The road will run from
N.C. 116 behind the school and connect with N.C. 107.

Setzer and Burrell's recommendation comes as a surprise to some. Both
men have said the Southern Loop, presumably the whole thing, was the
only way to reduce traffic congestion on N.C. 107.

"There isn't an alternative that can accommodate the traffic on 107,"
Setzer said in a previous interview.

Doesn't have to be a highway

Board members also voted to change to the Southern Loop's description
from a multi-lane freeway to a roadway, said Setzer.

"It was not accurate for us to say we are going to construct a
multi-lane freeway," he said. "At the time it was just a best guess. We
are trying to look at all different alternatives."

One possible option is constructing a two-lane roadway, Setzer said.

"That is if a road is ever built," he added.

The new project calls for construction of simply a "roadway" from N.C.
107 to U.S. 23-74 east of Sylva, according to a press release from DOT.
The press release was sent to media two weeks ago by the DOT in
Raleigh, however the Smoky Mountain News did not receive it.