Just read this article from the newspaper........NC State transportation officials have delayed acquiring right of way for the eastern section of the Northern Beltway because two activist groups have filed a lawsuit over the project.
The lawsuit alleges that state and federal highway officials violated state and federal laws in conducting their environmental-impact studies. It asks a federal judge to issue an injunction to stop the project until state and federal officials comply with the laws.
Nine years ago, a similar lawsuit helped delay construction on the highway's western section.
An attorney for the N.C. Alliance for Transportation Reform Inc. and the Friends of Forsyth County filed the lawsuit Aug. 13 in U.S. District Court in Durham. Those groups have 210 members that the lawsuit says would be affected by the highway or live near its planned route.
The lawsuit was filed the day before the DOT held a public hearing at East Forsyth High School, where an official told about 800 people that the agency would notify affected property owners about the right-of-way process next year. The eastern section of the project would affect 452 houses, 18 businesses, one church and one farm.
Marsh Smith of Southern Pines, the plaintiffs' attorney, said that the Northern Beltway is an unnecessary project because people are driving less in an era of high gas prices.
The DOT plans to spend $445.2 million on the eastern section, which will run from U.S. 52 north of Winston-Salem to U.S. 311 southeast of Winston-Salem. Construction is expected to begin in 2013 and be completed within three to four years.
The lawsuit said that state and federal environmental-impact studies violated the national and N.C. Environmental Policy Acts because they did not cover the highway's southern loop and the airport connector that would link the beltway with the urban loop around Greensboro.
It also alleges that those studies did not sufficiently analyze the project's effect on air quality and that officials failed to demonstrate a need for the highway. The lawsuit said that the officials failed to analyze how the highway would affect residential and commercial development along its corridor.
The friends and the alliance groups filed a similar lawsuit in February 1999, asking a federal judge to issue a temporary restraining order and injunction stopping the first construction project on the western section of the Northern Beltway. Construction was scheduled to begin March 1, 1999.
The western section of the beltway will run from U.S. 52 and connect to U.S. 158 in western Forsyth County. It will cost $447.2 million.
That lawsuit alleged that federal and state highway agencies underestimated the beltway's effect on the health and society of Forsyth County, and failed to follow federal guidelines with their environmental-impact statement and other studies.
The construction of the western section is scheduled to begin after 2015. The DOT is uncertain about its completion date.
Click here to -> Join ActiveRain NOW!
Click here to -> Subscribe to our blog (Must be ActiveRain member)
Brad and Angela Lawrence - Brokers/REALTORS
Multi-Million Dollar Producers
ERA Premier Realty
NC HomeTeam Inc
Our Website: Greensboro Real Estate - Winston Salem Real Estate - High Point Real Estate
Toll Free: 866-220-6458
Brad's Cell: 336-909-1293
Angie's Cell: 336-909-2638
Fax: 866-233-4314
Email: Brad.Lawrence@ERA.com
Our BLOG
We serve the Whole Piedmont Triad Area!
Buyers - Sign up for your own FREE MLS search account
Information about working with a NC Real Estate agent
