I plan to install a whole-house surge protective device (SPD). Its instructions state that you should place it as close as possible to the connection of the mains with the busbars. Also it has a neutral wire which is supposed to be made as short as possible.
My panel already has a backfeed breaker for a generator in the top-right position (blue). This cannot be moved because there is a physical lockout device on the panel.
If I put the SPD in the top-left position (space can be made - green) then is it acceptable to route the neutral wire through the shortest path crossing the busbars?
If not, any advice whether it would be better to:
Run the neutral a longer distance (eg up and over the top of the panel)?
Add another grounding bar in the upper-left of the panel, and attach there?
Put the SPD one down from the top-right?
Something else?
(The purple arrow is not specific as to the exact terminal, its just generally pointing to the intended area.)
I did see a brief discussion about a similar issue in the comments to https://diy.stackexchange.com/a/69282/41781 but it didn't seem definitive.