TROY, Mich. – Residents living near I-75 in Oakland County have been dealing with excessive noise from the traffic for years. The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has been studying the area from 13 Mile to Adams Road and is now holding a public meeting to discuss the need for sound barriers.
Ahead of next week’s meeting, Local 4 spoke with residents in Troy -- some saying the traffic is just too loud while others say they’ve lived in the area for so long they don’t really hear it.
Tiffany Cok, who lives near I-75, expressed her frustration with the noise, saying, “The noise level has gotten to a point where it makes sitting outside on your patio not as enjoyable.”
Others, like Klaus Jones, acknowledged the noise but had become accustomed to it, saying, “It’s like now, you can hear it in the background, and we’re like two blocks away from it, so where we’re at, you can definitely hear it inside the house now.”
Phillis Mayer shared similar sentiments, stating, “You know, when the trees got all the leaves on them, it’s not quite as noticeable, but in the winter when it’s bare, you can really hear it.”
Some residents, like Jones, feel that the noise has gotten worse over the years, saying, “It was always making noise, but it’s a lot worse now, and they raised the height of the road, so the berm that we have behind us kind of defeats the purpose because now you have more noise over the top of it. It’s just getting worse, I guess, is the point.”
MDOT conducted a study and will present the results at a public open house on Tuesday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Troy Community Center. The open house will include a presentation and a question-and-answer session.
Cok expressed her hope that the study will result in funding to put up a noise wall, saying, “We’re hoping that the noise study that’s happening obviously continues and provides the results that’s going to deliver the funding to put the noise wall up is really what the goal is.”
For those who are unable to attend the meeting, it will be available on the City of Troy’s website.