Item 8A, Update on Interstate 694, Hwy 10, and CR 96

Home Browse Search

~ ~~HILLS MEMORANDUM DATE: May 8, 2008 TO: FROM: SUBJECT: Mayor and City Council Jim Willis, Interim City Administrator 6 Noise Walls Thc Council has indicatcd that addressing noise issucs for residcntial properties impactcd by the TH IO/CR96 projcet is a major issuc rclated to thc TCAAP dcvelopment and TH 1 O-CR 96 transportation improvements. This issue ariscs, in part, from an carlier study conducted for MnDOT rclating to the I 694 35E to 35W project. The Environmental Assessment for that projcct examined noise impacts upon residential properties in Arden Hills gcncrally from the area west of Hamline along the northcrly side of 1694 and TH 10 to the end of their projcet limits. Their study indicated that the noisc impacts upon the rcsidcntial propcrties within the study area did not mcet all three eritcria required lor noise walls to bc installed with thc project. Thus whilc noise Icvels might increase as a rcsult of thc growth of additional traffic, the cost/benefit threshold for thc installation of noise walls was not reached Jlcr MnDOT policy. Thc City requested the MnDOT examinc noise impacts northerly of the f (,94 project limits to CR96. MnDOT agrced. SEH was givcn the task. Thc March 18 SEH 'THIO Barrier Study" addrcssed this matter as it relates to rcsidcntial propcrties on both the cast and west sides ofTH 10 north of I ()<)4 to CR96. This rep0l1 was and submitted to the City Council at your April 14 Work Session. The SEH study reached the same conclusion as the early noisc study: residential propcrtics within the study arca did not meet all three criteria required for the installation of noise walls. Somc have suggested that if MnDOT can not be persuaded to construct appropriate noise walls, thc City should do so to protect the affcctcd residents, The Council has the authority to spend public funds for such improvements. Thc 2007 estimatcd cost for 20 foot high wooden noise walls is about $300 per lincal foot, or $1,600,000 pcr mile, [SEH "THIO Barrier Study", pagc 5]. On the attachcd map I have highlighted in yellow thc approximate limits of the earlier MnDOT noise study for the I 694 project and the more recent SEH noise study in pink. Assuming 20 foot noise walls were constructed the full length of the study area, nearly 12,500 fcct, the cost would be approximately $3,800,000,