Raising a ruckus for sound barriers
The clamor for sound barriers is getting louder.
Woburn city leaders and residents are joining forces with Burlington to get sound barriers built along Route 128. Woburn also will advocate for sound barriers along portions of Interstate 93 that runs through the city.
A rally will be held Saturday at 9 a.m. at the on- and off-ramps for Route 128 on Winn Street in Burlington.
Like Burlington 's , Woburn officials have cited the success of Lexington in securing a sound barrier for a neighborhood near the ramp that connects Route 3 to Route 128 south. That barrier is expected to be built next spring, as one of the final pieces to the widening of Route 3, which placed the ramp to 128 closer to the Lexington neighborhood.
"Enough is enough," said Darlene Mercer-Bruen, a Woburn alderwoman. "It's our turn."
Woburn officials , like Burlington 's , argue that their neighborhoods have been waiting for sound barriers since Route 128 was built and subsequently widened decades ago. Same goes for neighborhoods along Interstate 93, Woburn folks say.
Sound barriers in Woburn would ideally start at the Burlington line on Route 128, where it is a primarily residential area, and extend to the cinema on one side of Route 128 and a supermarket on the other side. After those two commercial areas, the sound barriers would resume , to protect another residential area, then would stop at the Woburn Mall and begin again after that to protect another residential area.
As for Interstate 93, it's not exactly clear where the sound barriers would go.
John Ciriello, a Woburn alderman, said he believes it's better for communities to think regionally in securing sound barriers. "I think we will get farther if we have a collaborative effort," Ciriello said. "Numbers is strength."
Woburn residents have already collected 500 signatures for a petition to persuade the Legislature to allocate funding. Alderman James Dwyer and Alderwoman Joanna Gonsalves are helping lead the effort. They are working with state Senator Robert A. Havern, an Arlington Democrat who is helping Burlington, and state Representative Patrick Natale, a Democrat who represents Woburn. The state Executive Office of Transportation gives priority for building sound barriers to neighborhoods that experience a spike in noise levels because of a new highway project rather than those neighborhoods where sound levels may have increased because traffic volumes on the highways have risen. The state currently has a priority list of roughly 50 sound barrier projects for neighborhoods that have been waiting decades to muffle highway noise. Some of the Woburn neighborhoods could receive a boost in securing sound barriers if noise studies done as part of a proposed reconfiguration of the interchange for Route 128 and Interstate 93 show that noise levels will rise beyond federally acceptable levels -- so long as it's not too costly to build the barriers. But Mercer-Bruen believes the pursuit of sound barriers needs to remain separate from the interchange project. "It could be 10 years" before the interchange is changed, Mercer-Bruen said. Burlington and Woburn want the sound barriers as soon as possible. Plan for replacing bridge to be heard The state Executive Office of Transportation will hold a public hearing in North Reading Nov. 15 about replacing the Main Street bridge over the Ipswich River. The meeting starts at 7 p.m . at North Reading Town Hall. The new bridge will be a concrete box beam, single-span structure with four travel lanes and sidewalks on both sides. The bridge will be open during construction but reduced to two travel lanes. A larger right-of-way will be necessary for the project, which could require the state highway department to make land acquisitions or seek permanent or temporary easements. The department will discuss its policy regarding land acquisitions at this hearing. Plans will be on display a half-hour before the meeting starts. Written comments can be handed in at the meeting or submitted to John Blundo, P.E., chief engineer, Massachusetts Highway Department, 10 Park Plaza, Boston MA 02116. For written comments to be included in the official public hearing transcript, the department must receive the comments no later than 10 days after the hearing. Additional information about the project will be posted in the coming weeks on the department's website, mass.gov/mhd. Click "public hearings" to find the project. T cards for those with disabilities MBTA staff will be replacing all MBTA Senior Citizen and Transportation Access Passes for those with disabilities at two locations northwest of Boston over the next two weeks. On Nov. 8, staffers will be on hand at the Bedford Council on Aging, 12 Mudge Way, Bedford, between 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. On Nov. 10, they will be at the Belmont Council on Aging, 23 Oakley Road, Belmont, between 1 and 4 p.m. Staff will take photos, issue temporary permits, and provide information on the new cards, which are part of a new fare collection system. StartsStops/NorthWest runs every other Sunday. Please e-mail transportation-related questions to starts@globe.com. .content>
