Orange route best for 540 Outer Loop

The state Department of Transportation once supported a route for the the planned extension of the 540 Outer Loop that went through a swath of land from Holly Springs to Garner and was called the “Orange Route.” But then the feds, or environmental regulators, said they didn’t like it because it would cut through wetlands and in those wetlands was an endangered mussel.

So the state DOT showed up and came up with the Red Route, which went right through Garner and would have meant taking the ’dozers to churches, business and parks. The Red Route had people seeing red in Garner. More alternatives were drawn using most of the colors in the Crayola box.

Now the feds have drafted an environmental impact study. It won’t make the final choice, but it will presumably analyze the environmental impact of the various routes. DOT will put the study under the microscope. But local officials are still backing Orange, the preferred route for them and the one that would seem to require the least inconvenience for residents.

This story was originally published November 4, 2015 at 6:43 PM with the headline "Orange route best for 540 Outer Loop."