The Minnesota Department of Transportation wants to hear some noise from property owners about planned noise walls near where the agency is remaking Interstate 494 through Edina, Richfield and Bloomington.
MnDOT sent ballots by mail to nearby residents and business owners eligible to vote on the idea earlier this month, and the agency needs them back by Dec. 31.
MnDOT is proposing a new noise wall on the north side of I-494 between East Bush Lake Road and West Bush Lake Road. The agency also proposes rebuilding and extending the current noise wall along the ramp from the southbound Interstate 35W entrance at 82nd Street and replacing an existing noise wall on northbound I-35W between W. 83rd and W. 84th streets.
Noise walls are berms or tall vertical walls placed along busy roads to reduce traffic-related noise and improve quality of life for nearby homeowners and businesses. In this case, only those who would experience a noise reduction of 5 decibels or more are allowed to vote.
Traffic noise along I-494 between East Bush Lake Road in Bloomington and 12th Avenue S. in Richfield exceeds state and federal noise standards at some locations.
The walls will be built if 50% of eligible voters return their ballots and the majority indicate that they want them. If less than half of eligible voters return ballots, a second ballot will be sent to those who did not respond, MnDOT said.
If 25% of voters return ballots after the second request, the decision will be made by the majority of votes received. If at that time fewer than 25% of voters returned ballots, the walls will not be built. In case of a tie, the walls will be built, MnDOT said.
Noise barriers block the direct path of sound waves from a highway to homes and businesses along the road. They do not eliminate noise, they only reduce it, MnDOT said.
