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Benton County to test filling rumble-strip grooves after resident noise complaint at South Van Horn intersection
Summary
Supervisors discussed noise complaints at the South Van Horn/North Blairstown intersection on Highway 30, reviewed DOT-recommended sinusoidal ("mumble") strips and other fixes, and agreed to first try filling the existing transverse grooves and install flashing beacons before considering mill-and-replace work.
Benton County supervisors discussed options to reduce noise from transverse rumble strips at the South Van Horn and North Blairstown intersection on Highway 30 and agreed to a limited, stepwise approach: fill the existing grooves with cold mix and then evaluate noise levels after flashing red beacons are installed.
The discussion began after staff described the county's federally funded safety-action process and a resident complaint about noise from transverse rumble strips placed on the highway. County engineering staff said DOT has recommended switching some locations to sinusoidal, or "mumble," rumble strips, which staff and DOT contacts described as quieter but still audible.
"There's still a noise that is made when traveling through these mumble strips," the county engineer said, describing conversations with other counties and DOT observations. The engineer told supervisors the county had already added destination lighting and ordered flashing red beacons for the intersection and that the beacons should arrive within about four to six weeks.
Board members discussed lower-cost, interim fixes. The engineer said using the pliable cold mix routinely used for pothole patching could partially fill grooves and significantly reduce noise, though it likely would not eliminate vibration entirely. More complete removal of sound, the engineer said, would require milling out the groove and repaving — work that requires hiring outside equipment and would be more expensive and time-consuming.
Supervisors agreed the first step should be to fill the grooves using county labor and then assess noise levels after the flashing beacons are installed. "Try it and see where we're at with it," one supervisor said, urging the lower-cost approach as a first step. The board did not take a formal vote but recorded a working consensus to proceed with filling the grooves and monitoring the result.
The engineer also noted the DOT's current standard has moved from three panels to two and described options to relocate or adjust panels to move them farther from the house, if needed. Staff said they will take baseline decibel readings before work and continue monitoring afterward to determine if additional changes — including conversion to sinusoidal panels or full mill-and-replace work — are warranted.
