People who live along I-75 near SR 50 in Hernando County are upset about a construction project along the highway.
Hailey Maurey said she is frustrated because of the noise overnight. She called it unbearable.
"The house shakes. It almost feels like there's an earthquake," Maurey said.
The goal of the project is to widen I-75 from Hernando County to Sumter County.
"It sounds like a racetrack. I mean Daytona -maybe," Lauretta Clemons said.
Neighbors said the construction keeps them up at night.
"It's beyond stressful," Lynn Parker said.
FDOT acknowledges they have received complaints. An agency official said crews work during the day if it is possible, but some work has to be done at night -especially if crews are closing lanes.
"Two or three o'clock in the morning that's when they really start banging and booming and you can't sleep. There's no way," Lauretta Clemons said.
Maurey desperately would like FDOT to put up a wall to muffle the sound.
"I'm not going to let this go. I need something to happen. They need to respect the community that they're affecting," Maurey said.
In an emailed statement, John McShaffrey with FDOT said in part, "...the Florida Department of Transportation fully realizes the impact that construction has on residents, businesses and motorists and tries to strike a balance in lessening the impact for all while still allowing the contractor to build the important highway improvements in a manner that is safe and efficient for the public, workers and drivers.
The contractor and FDOT have discussed construction operations and contractor methods in an attempt to be as good a neighbor as possible while work continues in and near residential areas. However, some work activities will still need to be done at night whenever lane closures are needed to perform the work. Lane closures on I-75 in the project area are only allowed between 9:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. as closures in the daytime hours when traffic volume is much greater could seriously impact mobility and public safety.
Regarding requests for noise barriers, FDOT prepared a Project Development and Environment Study (PD&E) for this project area. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the study and a later reevaluation of the PD&E study to address engineering changes and the potential environmental effects associated with concept changes to the I-75/SR 50 interchange. A public hearing was held to inform the public of the changes and to address concerns. Ultimately, it was determined and approved by FHWA that noise barriers would not provide the required decibel reduction to meet the cost benefit ratio. As a result, no noise abatement walls were included in this project".
For more information about the project, go to: http://www.tbinterstates.com/projects/projectinfo.asp?projectID=222&RoadID=4.
