HILLSBOROUGH - The Orange County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution last week opposing the extension of Elizabeth Brady Road to serve as a direct north-south connector from N.C. 86 north of Interstate 85 to Highway 70 north of downtown Hillsborough.

Three alternative routes for the project could affect neighborhoods, historic sites or the Eno River watershed. One path would take out homes on the southwest side of N.C. 70, in neighborhoods such as Riverside Road and Highland Loop. Another route would pass through historic sites at Ayr Mount and the Occonneechee-Orange Speedway. A third would run along a high ridge above the Eno, causing runoff of rainwater and auto emissions.

The commissioners, like the Hillsborough Town Board, favor alternatives for relieving traffic congestion on Churton Street, including upgrades to the street itself. Other options include realigning Eno Mountain Road and Mayo Street at Orange Grove Road, extending Orange Grove Road to N.C. 70A and improving the intersections of N.C. 86 at Old Highway 10 and U.S. 70 Bypass.

The Orange Grove Road extension would bring the added benefit of providing easy access to a planned Amtrak passenger rail station near downtown Hillsborough, according to Mayor Tom Stevens. He added that an in-town bus route may become a reality in 2010.

"This in many ways will define the town for the next 50 or 100 years, so we need to think very carefully about that," he said. "You can't make it all about just moving a car from one place to another."

The North Carolina Department of Transportation is considering the three alternatives for extending Elizabeth Brady Road, plus the "no build" option favored by local leaders. NCDOT is accepting public comment until Jan. 7.