TROY, Mich. (WXYZ) — Neighbors say two weeks ago the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) started cutting down trees between Carter Avenue and I-75 and immediately they noticed a difference.
The road noise got louder, and they lost privacy.
”Two weeks ago I could not see cars on the expressway, nor could the cars see my house,” said Helene West.
West says she started talking to neighbors and learned disturbing news. While she had been told by MDOT in writing that a sound wall would be put up here, plans had changed.
She emailed MDOT and found that was true.
“I feel like I mean nothing to the government and I am powerless," West said. "I can’t do anything. You were my final help."
She reached out to 7 Action News for answers.
“We work within the federal guidelines and essentially have to work within those guidelines,” said Rob Morosi, MDOT spokesperson.
Get this, in 2015 MDOT did a noise study and found the noise levels called for a certain sized wall. It would have cost less than the amount the federal government is willing to pay per home impacted, which is approximately $45,000 a home. Then in 2018, another noise study found traffic was louder and would require a larger wall that would cost about $70,000 a home.
Because the funding wasn’t there for a larger and effective wall, no wall can be built here.
“So we asked, can’t we just have the smaller wall? And they said if we cant give you a perfect solution, we won’t give you a solution,” said Bob Kush, another neighbor.
MDOT says it is about what the federal government will fund.
So what could happen? MDOT says it could replant trees after construction is done to improve aesthetics. Neighbors say it is not enough.
