Law center appeals Monroe Bypass ruling

The fate of the Monroe bypass hasn’t been settled yet.

The Southern Environmental Law Center said Wednesday it will appeal a federal court ruling in favor of the N.C. Department of Transportation, in an attempt to delay or stop the nearly $900 million toll road from being built.

Last week, U.S. District Judge James Dever III ruled in favor of the DOT in the SELC’s lawsuit to stop the highway. The state said it believed the case was “closed” and that the project would continue to move forward.

The appeal is being filed on behalf of Clean Air Carolina, the N.C. Wildlife Federation and the Yadkin Riverkeeper.

The SEC contends the DOT and the federal government did not conduct an adequate environmental impact study for the Union County toll road.

This is the second round of litigation in the case.

Four years ago, Dever ruled in favor of the DOT in a similar lawsuit. But the SELC won at the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, forcing the state to conduct new impact studies.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 5:28 PM with the headline "Law center appeals Monroe Bypass ruling."