‘It certainly is loud’: Province moves up noise study on SW Anthony Henday Drive

The southwest Anthony Henday Drive has been open for ten years now, but it seems there are renewed concerns over traffic noise.

Alberta Transportation is looking for a consultant to conduct a noise monitoring and modeling study for the southwest section of the Henday, from the Highway 16A interchange to the Highway 2 interchange.

“Noise studies are conducted to determine if noise levels in the area of the roadway have changed over time with increased traffic,” said Alberta Transportation spokesperson Anna Neale.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Noise studies are conducted to determine if noise levels in the area of the roadway have changed over time with increased traffic," said Alberta Transportation spokesperson Anna Neale.

A noise study was completed by the province in 2007 and 2013. The next study was slated for 2018 but has been moved up to this summer in response to concerns raised by residents, Neale said.

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Robert Becker has lived in Wedgewood for 21 years. His house backs onto the Henday, and he said the noise can be irritating.

“It’s to the point where I’m talking to you – and it interferes with the sound – if you don’t talk loud enough, I can have a hard time hearing you,” he said.

“It is annoying. It would be a lot nicer if we didn’t have it – if we didn’t have a main highway passing here all the time.”

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Becker said he sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night because of the traffic noise.

“Motorcycles and things like that, cars racing. It’s quiet outside so you can hear the noise a lot better, a lot more in the middle of the night.”

Becker said it seems like the traffic on the Henday is on the rise.

“To me, it gets heavier every month because more people are using it.”

Jo-Anne Johnstone lives a few doors down from Becker and has lived in her house for 18 years.

When the Henday opened, she said her commute cut in half as a result but she notes “certainly the noise changed.”

“I think you get used to it. It certainly is loud. What it did make us do is we put in air-conditioning. We made a decision whether to stay or not because the noise was a huge factor,” she said.

“We put in air-conditioning because we can’t have our windows open at night when we’re sleeping. It’s too loud.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "We put in air-conditioning because we can't have our windows open at night when we're sleeping. It's too loud."

Dean Yaceyko moved into his Wedgewood house five years ago and said his family overlooked the traffic noise when they moved in.

“It was loud enough. It was like a low rumble, like a background noise. Something should be done because it is fairly noisy,” he said.

However, he admits residents who live near the Henday have a complicated relationship with it.

“It is a love-hate. You are in the city so you are going to hear some background noise wherever you are. It’s easy to hop on and off too. But I wish I couldn’t hear it.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "It is a love-hate. You are in the city so you are going to hear some background noise wherever you are. It's easy to hop on and off too. But I wish I couldn't hear it."

A 2007 study by the province shows noise conditions, at the time, “were generally well below the permissible sound level of 65 dBA.”

“A sensitivity analysis of the traffic volumes, traffic speeds, and % heavy trucks indicated that even with significant increases in all three, the noise levels at all receptor locations will still be below the limit of 65 dBA,” the report reads.

“As such, based on the criteria set forth by Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation, no additional noise mitigation measures are required throughout the entire study area.”

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Though the roadway is under the jurisdiction of the province, city councillors past and present have discussed traffic noise concerns with residents.

Ward 10 councillor Bryan Anderson said the province would require the noise to be 65 decibels for a 24-hour period, greater than the city noise bylaw, before considering changes.

He said the noise generated from the Henday falls within noise guidelines, and he hasn’t received any complaints about traffic noise in the last two years.

The study will examine 20 kilometres of roadway. It will involve a public consultation followed by 24-hour  noise monitoring at pre-determined sites selected by the province.

Afterward, the consultant will create a computer noise model, which will be used to generate a model with future traffic conditions.

The study will start in September and is expected to be completed by the end of October.