BAIE-D’URFÉ — As off-island communities continue to grow, so too does the heavy volume of traffic on Highway A-20.
The noise levels generated as a result are becoming unbearable for some residents in Baie-D’Urfé.
Dozens are calling for a new sound barrier to be built as a buffer between the highway and residents living near Surrey Road.
READ MORE: Beaconsfield residents push for sound barrier along A-20
”When the trains go by at night, sometimes you have the feeling they have the brakes on at least one or two of the cars and it’s bloody noisy,” Paul Eegli, a Baie-D’Urfé resident, told Global News prior to Tuesday night’s council meeting.
Town council voted unanimously in favour of requesting Transports Quebec (MTQ) to conduct initial studies to see if sound monitoring stations need to be set up and eventually determine if a new barrier needs to be built.
”We need something to address the increased noise pollution in Baie D’Urfé from not only the road traffic but also the rail traffic,” said Peter Fletcher, a town councillor.
An existing landscaped berm built decades ago to act as a sound barrier between the highway and residents living on or near Surrey Road, east of Morgan Road, is no longer effective.
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The mayor estimates studies conducted by Transports Quebec to test the sound levels could cost $100,000, most of it, Maria Tutino, hopes would be payed by the MTQ.
”The MTQ only comes in if the majority of houses in that area are over 65 decibels, so we’re asking them to start the process,” Tutino told Global News.
If Transports Quebec gives the green light for a barrier, more studies are needed to determine the kind and costs associated with it.
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