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Senators hear request for I‑93 southbound sound wall; DOT says criteria and funding limit projects
Summary
Sen. Sharon Carson asked for a sound barrier on I‑93 southbound near a senior living complex in Londonderry; DOT noise staff explained Type 2 mitigation criteria, noted the department has no 10‑year funding for Type 2 projects, and said a 2017 screening identified roughly 49 candidate locations requiring more than $150 million.
Sen. Sharon Carson presented SB 631, a bill to install a sound barrier on Interstate 93 southbound adjacent to the Baldwins senior living community in Londonderry, where residents reported constant traffic noise from roughly 80,000 vehicles per day.
John Evans, DOT noise program manager, explained the department’s noise policy and the distinction between Type 1 projects (noise mitigation tied to a highway project that triggers evaluation and mitigation within project funding) and Type 2 projects (stand‑alone mitigation for existing noise impacts). He said the department’s 2017 screening identified 49 Type 2 candidate locations statewide with total costs in excess of $150 million and that there is presently no dedicated funding for Type 2 projects in the 10‑year transportation plan.
Evans outlined eligibility criteria for Type 2 mitigation, including a reasonableness test (measured vertical surface area per benefited household) and rules about whether protected households predate the highway or meet defined dates, which can limit eligibility for neighborhoods built after highways. Committee members discussed potential alternatives such as berms or donated land to reduce costs, but DOT said material and installation costs typically dominate and federal rules constrain how off‑right‑of‑way solutions affect eligibility.
Committee members asked DOT to test decibel levels at the constituent site and consider toll credits or other mechanisms if the standard mitigation path is not fundable.
