TROY, Mich. – When buying a home near an interstate, you can expect to hear traffic noise, but should you expect to hear it if you live three-quarters of a mile out?
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Residents in Troy claim that’s how deafening the noise can be at times.
On a recent autumn day, it’s easy for Dan Vredeveld to take in the sights while walking his dog around his subdivision. But the sounds?
“It’s pretty loud,” Vredeveld said. “It’s frustrating.”
It’s the same story down the street at a different house.
“On a windy day, it’s deafening. If you record it, it may be about 80 to 90 decibels,” Pradeep Dilli said.
Dilli has lived in his neighborhood for 25 years, and he has not once sat with a cup of coffee on his refurbished patio.
A good night’s rest is impossible.
“It’s affecting a lot even though I’ve tried to put in the white noise – and it takes a little bit away from that, especially in the summer season, there’s a lot of traffic,” Dilli said.
Dilli is part of a grassroots movement advocating for noise barriers.
Initially, the subdivision didn’t qualify for sound walls after its construction in the 90s.
After countless meetings with state and local officials, area lawmakers finally secured funding for two sound walls in June 2023.
“We had to go back and force the issue with MDOT and do a new study to see if any other areas would qualify and of course, so we were able to get $10 million and ultimately $14 million,” said Sen. Michael Webber who represents the 9th Senate District.
Nearly 18 months later, residents are asking what’s next.
“I would like to see a project in plan and a date and let’s try to get this thing rolling,” Vredeveld said.
MDOT told Local 4 that a consultant is conducting a survey for the wall to ensure that the build doesn’t interfere with utility lines.
The design should be done by early 2025, with construction beginning the following year.
A spokesperson said the project is on schedule.
Meanwhile, Dilli spent roughly $40,000 for triple-pane windows and landscaping to buffer the noise.
He’s not expecting the traffic noise to disappear with the walls, but at least soften it.
When asked what the first thing he would do when the noise barriers were finally up was, he didn’t miss a beat.
“We’re going to buy furniture here and sit there and enjoy my cup of coffee and tea out there and really have a fun time here,” Dilli said.
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