Gail Bielke and her husband have concerns over how close the widening of US-27 will be to their own backyard. She wrote in to us this week.
- Gail Bielke is concerned about traffic sounds from widening project
- FDOT says no sound barrier will be constructed
"Can you please find out if any sound mitigation actions are planned for the subdivision on the northwest corner of Highway 27 and Lake Louisa Road? It appears that the roadway will be 10-15 feet closer to our fences and backyards than what it was. It feels like we will easily be able to carry on conversations with southbound traffic once the work is completed. We can already wave to traffic and construction equipment operators."
When I visited Bielke and her husband in their backyard, I noticed that it is tranquil enough to hold butterflies in its gardens and boisterous enough to see tractor-trailers skirt just outside its borders.
"We're both from up north and we're both used to a fair amount of noise," said Bielke. "And that's pretty much how it was when we bought six years ago. I mean it was a little noisy, but we figured we could deal with it because we've lived most of our lives that way."
Not only does the noise of the current construction distract her and her husband from their comfortable retirement, but now that the road work is nearing completion, Bielke is worried about the amount of vehicles, specifically large, noisy trucks that will be feet from her house.
"Going from four lanes to six lanes, the highway is a whole lot closer to our back fence than it was before," said Bielke.
She also added that the intersection of US-27 and Lake Louisa Road is a haven for accidents, having seen and heard many herself. She fears that the lack of a sound wall or barrier will mean it is only a matter of time before her backyard receives some uninvited guests.
"Having the highway so close to the fence, it's just a matter of time before someone drives through my yard," she explained.
I contacted the Florida Department of Transportation who is in the process of turning US-27 from a rural four-lane roadway to a suburban six-lane road from Boggy Marsh Road to just north of Lake Louisa Road.
Unfortunately, they told me news that the Bielke Family will not be happy with.
"No walls will be constructed as part of this project. A noise study was completed as part of the project, development and environment study (PD&E), which showed a noise wall was not warranted," FDOT explained.
Thanks for your question Bielke.
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