Hurley's Gold

Who lives next to a freeway?

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  • benenglish

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    I live in a quiet, beautiful old subdivision. It has large lots and lots of fully mature trees because back when it was built, developers didn't start off by bulldozing everything. It's not fancy and it's definitely middle-class (at most) but it's special to me.

    This morning I reached into my mailbox and found a note from the homeowner's association that covered a few local topics, including the fact that our contact information had been requested concerning a local roadbuilding project. The Exxon HQ is going in about 2 miles as the crow flies from my front door and the entire area is undergoing frenzied development. Now I find out that the people who are building the closest section of the Grand Parkway want to be able to contact me.

    This sorta brought home to me something I've known for a couple of years but hadn't really taken to heart. In a short period of time, as these things go, I will be living within a literal stones throw (assuming I can use a slingshot) of a freeway. I'll probably have a direct line-of-sight through the trees behind the houses across the street from me owing to the fact that this section will be elevated. Thankfully, there will be no exits or interchange near me, just a grade separation.

    For those of you with experience, what's it like living next to a freeway?
     

    Vaquero

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    Used to live by I-20.
    Right near a truckstop exit.
    Wasn't bad except for the jake brake noise.
     

    Anger

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    My first home (in Detroit) was on the far side of a city park, on the other side of which was I-94. I-94 was built in a ditch vs at grade, but it was still very easy to hear the traffic at certain times. I didn't like it but I got used to it. I moved into it in that condition, unlike your situation.
     

    Sugar Land

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    Enjoy the ambient noise level now because that will increase. When I lived a couple blocks from 59 when it was two lanes and couldn't hear it. After they put the 2 or 3 hundred lanes in the ambient went up by several db.
     

    benenglish

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    I moved into it in that condition, unlike your situation.
    Actually, the reason this freeway is elevated for almost a mile is that it will be running directly over the top of train tracks. It's gonna be a monstrosity, just huge. I expect that having a roof overhead will make the train noise worse; nowadays I rarely notice the trains.

    I'm familiar with freeway noise from above, having visited in a highrise next to a very busy freeway. That constant drone would have driven me nuts. I am sure this won't be as bad. But I am a bit worried that train horns bouncing off a concrete roof overhead will penetrate my consciousness more often.
     

    breakingcontact

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    This depends on the person. I had a family member hate a beautiful expensive house and sell it because of the semi noise on the interstate. The interstate was actually pretty far away and most of the time i visited i barely noticed the noise. He was retired, home all day and focused on it.

    Dont go out like that.

    As far as the train goes, maybe they can install local horns on the lights so they dont use the big boy horn on the engine.
     

    Savage805

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    You can hear it at night especially in cool weather, sound travels quite well when it's cold. You might consider a little more insulation in the roof. It's not as bad as the thumping car stereos and the helicopters though. Like Breakingcontact said try not to dwell on it.
     

    breakingcontact

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    You can hear it at night especially in cool weather, sound travels quite well when it's cold. You might consider a little more insulation in the roof. It's not as bad as the thumping car stereos and the helicopters though. Like Breakingcontact said try not to dwell on it.

    Big difference in cold weather. I wouldnt sweat it too bad though sounds like youve got some decent distance between you and the new road. You see nice newer houses 30-40 feet off of the highways pretty often.
     

    Glockster69

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    I live in a quiet, beautiful old subdivision. It has large lots and lots of fully mature trees because back when it was built, developers didn't start off by bulldozing everything. It's not fancy and it's definitely middle-class (at most) but it's special to me.

    Those old growth trees and any undergrowth are your best sound barrier, IMO.

    I lived in North Hill Estates, behind Drive In Auto S. of Gander Mtn. Bought in the early 90s right before the highway widening. Fast forward, construction is complete and a thick stand of old growth trees remained between the feeder and the 1st row of houses along Sanger Gully. There was no appreciable ambient sound difference at my home which was 4/10s of a mile from the freeway.

    Home Depot hired a contractor to remove some trees from said stand so a billboard could be erected as that store was being built. The contractor "accidentally" removed a few (gross understatement) extra trees. The neighborhood fought HD but the damage was done and it was a losing battle so we petitioned TxDOT to construct that sound barrier wall. Even after the wall was complete, depending on wind direction etc., it could be difficult to talk on the phone while outside. Good luck Ben!
     

    Sapper740

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    I've noticed that clouds will reflect sound and sometimes wind direction affects how sound travels. I live about 1/2 mi. from I35 and depending upon atmospheric conditions the sound will range from imperceptible to quite noticeable. I'd get your HOA involved in the process and you might be able to get the builders to put up sound barriers like they did with the A train to Denton.
     

    M. Sage

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    Depends how busy the freeway is. I live just off the 1604 loop here and it's not that bad. A bit noisy at rush hours, and some nights I can hear sport bikes tearing it up later in the night, but otherwise...

    And yeah, I'm pretty used to the train tracks nearby, too. :p
     

    Texasjack

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    You get used to it. I grew up near a freeway and - except for jake brakes - it was pretty much ignored.

    Now traffic in the area around Exxon may prove to be something else entirely.
     

    benenglish

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    Now traffic in the area around Exxon may prove to be something else entirely.
    That's a whole 'nother topic. One thing's for sure - the powers-that-be are building roads like crazy to accommodate the anticipated traffic. The Grand Parkway will run right by the HQ and they'll have an exit and entrance. Flyovers leading from Exxon to the North Freeway are under construction. There appears to be a surface street cutting straight south from the HQ to Spring Stuebner which is being widened by multiple lanes in each direction all the way from the North Freeway to Kuykendahl. I can only hope there's a surface road leading north into the heart of the Woodlands, too.

    I remember how local traffic was snarled for years after the Compaq HQ became operational. It looks to me like a lesson was learned and someone darn well intends to make sure that the rush hours into and out of Exxon HQ flow as smoothly as possible.

    Everything around here is being re-built, upgraded, expanded, or developed in anticipation of the opening. I'm afraid the marijuana fields that used to grow south of Spring Creek, west of the North Freeway are a thing of the past. ;)
     

    Glockster69

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    I'm afraid the marijuana fields that used to grow south of Spring Creek, west of the North Freeway are a thing of the past. ;)
    In other words, your back yard? .. LoL

    Lots of growth in that area to be sure. Glad I don't have to deal with it anymore.
     

    benenglish

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    ... the marijuana fields that used to grow south of Spring Creek, west of the North Freeway are a thing of the past.

    In other words, your back yard?
    Not exactly. I'd be driving a better ride if those fields had been mine. ;)

    It was hilarious when Google first started publishing satellite imagery. In the undeveloped tracts south of Spring Creek, there were three large, circular marijuana fields between my house and the North Freeway. On Google, they stuck out like sore thumbs. After that first imagery was published the growers were smart enough to get outta Dodge. The next round of imagery showed brown circles where the fields had been abandoned. Nowadays, you can't even find where they once were located.
     

    shortround

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    As the crow flies, I live 1/2 mile from a very busy interstate highway. We have lots of trees, so the noise gets attenuated, except for the ass hats who use exhaust brakes going down hill.

    I've rigged up a CB radio in my man cave, and occasionally listen to truck traffic. When an out of town trucker asks for directions, I always give him a route that does not go through my hearing space.

    The airport and train noises are more offensive, however.

    After a few years, you get older, lose your hearing, and everything is nothing but a little background noise.

    I will not tolerate a barking dog!
     
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