Anyone who travels N.C. 107 between Sylva and Cullowhee knows that something needs to be done to relieve the traffic congestion. That said, it seems the Department of Transportation is on target with plans to study the feasibility of a southern loop around Dillsboro and Sylva.

The state DOT this spring will begin looking at a road stretching from U.S. 441 south of Dillsboro to N.C. 107 and on to the U.S. 23/74 Bypass headed toward Balsam. The study is a good place to start and will provide information about costs, potential environmental impacts, and traffic flow projections that can give planners a pretty good idea of whether the proposal will do anything to unclog N.C. 107.

Those who travel in the counties west of Buncombe know that the 107 congestion is the worst traffic situation in this region. Nothing in any other western county can compete with the rush hour traffic on this road. And it’s no wonder. If it was just all of downtown Sylva and Dillsboro on one end, WCU, SCC, and Smoky Mountain High on the other, the traffic would be awful. Toss in Wal Mart and all the fastfood joints, along with dozens of curb cuts for dozens of businesses and streets, and the road is simply a mess.

But there are those who do not want the DOT to even study the feasibility of a “southern loop.” Malcolm MacNeill, a Webster resident, is circulating a petition asking community members to tell DOT to drop the idea. He argues that such a road will change the character of communities like Webster. He is right. Others, Jackson County Board Chairman Jay Denton among them, point out — again, rightfully — that big roads bring with them a host of environmental problems.

Denton also pointed out that existing roads could be widened and straightened, eliminating the need to start from scratch and ruin so much of Jackson County’s beautiful countryside. Again, this is a good point, one DOT planners should consider.

But that is why a feasibility study is a good idea. Indeed, the views of Denton, MacNeill and others should be incorporated into any study. DOT board member and Jackson Commission Conrad Burrell can perhaps have some influence here. A real feasibility study is not just dollars and cents. It looks at alternatives, looks at the sense of identity communities have and how big, new roads destroy such things. That kind of intangible is every bit as important as how much the road will cost and how many properties would have to be taken by eminent domain.

Sylva and Jackson County have a problem with N.C. 107. Perhaps a southern loop is not the best way to solve those problems. On paper, however, it seems like it would help. Do the feasibility study, but let’s make sure it considers the real costs.

 

Back to Top
The Smoky Mountain News