Online hearing set to gather public input on I-49 noise

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas Department of Transportation is holding an online neighborhood meeting to hear from the public about traffic noise from widening and interchange construction projects along Interstate 49 in Washington and Benton counties.

A study analyzed noise levels at 18 areas along I-49 and will help determine whether sound walls are needed and, if so, where they should be built. The study was delivered as two reports, one for Washington County and one for Benton County.

In Benton County, six areas with possible noise-sensitive land uses, called noise analysis areas, were identified in the study. One, west of I-49 between South 28th Place and South Bellview Road, is considered feasible.

An estimated cost is more than $2 million.

Building sound walls at the remaining Benton County locations was determined to likely be too expensive and not help enough people, according to the study.

In Washington County, sound walls for three areas are considered feasible and are likely to be constructed, according to the study. They are:

• West of I-49 between West Wedington Drive and Technology Way.

• East of I-49 between West Wedington Drive and North Porter Road.

• East of I-49 between the Washington County Fairgrounds and Garland Avenue.

The estimated cost for the three areas would range from $5.6 million to $5.9 million in total.

Final decisions will be made after talking to residents and property owners who stand to benefit.

The public is invited to listen, view meeting material and provide written comments. The website will be available for comments until 4:30 p.m. Feb. 5. There will be no "live" session.

To access the online public meeting, click on the link. It will take you to the online neighborhood public meeting website. The website will provide project materials and handouts that would have been shown at in-person meetings.

A separate link on the page will provide a Spanish version.

There also is an option to send online comment forms to Transportation Department staff or to print the form and mail it to Environmental Division, 10324 Interstate 30, Little Rock, Ark. 72209.

Those without internet access can contact Mary Pearson at (501) 569-2000 to ask questions about the proposed project and how to access project information at [email protected].

The overall corridor includes 26 miles of interstate between Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Fayetteville and Arkansas 72 in Bentonville.

One report specifically addresses the noise analysis within Benton County from the Washington County line to Arkansas 72. A separate report documents the noise analysis within Washington County from Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard to the Benton County line.

Sound walls were determined to be the only available potential abatement measure. Sound walls are the most common technique used for roadway projects.