After years of demands, the town of Baie-D’Urfé has gotten approval by the Quebec Transport Ministry (MTQ) to build a long-awaited sound barrier along Highway 20.
The MTQ and the city will be coming together to construct a concrete sound wall.
The structure will run along Surrey Street and stretch 915 metres from Lakeview to Gray streets.
The wall, which officials say will look similar to the one seen on Autoroute 15 in Laval, will measure 3.7 metres tall and stand atop the existing berm.
A start date for construction hasn’t yet been announced, although the work is expected to take 16 weeks. The project should be completed by the end of 2021.
Residents who live on side streets off Surrey say noise levels generated by the highway and trains have become unbearable.
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“The volume, it’s up there, and if the wind is blowing towards us then the volume increases dramatically,” longtime resident Tim Charbonneau said.
“You just grin and bear it for the time being,” resident Valerie Macpherson said.
Baie-D’Urfé has fought numerous times to get approval but the ministry denied financial assistance because noise levels were not high enough.
After the test was reviewed and modified, Gilles Payers of the MTQ said the project was approved.
The confirmation of the subsidy for the wall came in December, “but there are numerous steps going forward before the project is built,” Baie-D’Urfé director general Nicolas Bouchard said.
The government still has to approve the city’s plans for the wall.
A berm made of earth was the original sound barrier. Residents and city officials agree that with increased traffic and highway development, the berm has not been effective for many years.
Dozens have called for a new sound barrier to be built as a buffer between the highway and residents living near Surrey Road.
“It’s a relief and I am sure all of my neighbours will be pleased,” Macpherson said.