News-Record.com

You are correct, Steve Gladson is an angry man! His anger is because the NCDOT will not buy his 2nd home. His first house was bought for a fair amount and he then bought his current home at a reduced price from the DOT! He has been complaining since because he was gambling that the DOT would buy his current home. He wants to sell a home that he bought at a much reduced value now for the current value. This has nothing to do with the residents of Kings Mill! It is only about 1 man's greed!!!

He bought a second home in the neighborhood, knowing the road was going to be built. The Bypass is not a surprise, construction has been going on for several years. NCDOT does not owe him anything.Mr. Gladson needs to take responsibility for his own actions

He bought a second home in the neighborhood, knowing the road was going to be built. The Bypass is not a surprise, construction has been going on for several years. NCDOT does not owe him anything.Mr. Gladson needs to take responsibility for his own actions

He bought a second home in the neighborhood, knowing the road was going to be built. The Bypass is not a surprise, construction has been going on for several years. NCDOT does not owe him anything.Mr. Gladson needs to take responsibility for his own actions

Let's get real here. For the last 25 years everyone has know that the loop was going to be built. So to complain about noise after YOU decided to either a) buy a home close to the route or b) not sell when you had the chance is bs. This is the same thing as the people in the Cardinal fussing about the noise from the airport when the airport was there first. Take some responsibility for your own lives people! No body owes you anything!

My house in Winston-Salem is only about100 yards from one of those "sound walls" where they built the I-40 bypass about 15 years ago. My little house is 84 years old so if there were going to be any "shaking going on", it would DEFINITELY be happening in my house. I've been there for over ten years and have never felt, seen or heard a quiver. I do, occasionally, hear a big truck down-shifting.....big deal. It's usually drowned out by the kids screaming in the next yard. Unless your house is surrounded by the "Hundred Acre Woods", you're going to hear some sounds from time to time. Some people just want to complain. And it sounds like this guy just wants something for nothing.

You can't fight government and it's messed up that the bypass comes right through this neighborhood. But, you can't change that now and you should have gotten out when you could. For anyone to think that this wasn't going to be a big deal has a screw loose. This is now Interstate 40, so anyone going to Winston or Raleigh is coming through this way and it will only get worse. I'm sure the DOT didn't give all the facts in the beginning as this is how government works in this society. But, for this guy who bought a house after he had sold a house to the DOT, then he needs a reality check. I hate it for those residents who were decieved in any way, but this guy probably is getting what he deserves and that's nothing in return. He's just plain dumb!

My family & I live about 4 blocks from one of the sound walls near the King's Mill subdivision. And we were shocked at the tremendous noise coming from the highway. It is difficult to sit out on our back deck and carry on a conversation and often we hear the noise inside our home. We didn't anticipate that it would be that much. I don't feel badly for Mr. Gladson if indeed he tried to "pull a fast one" on the State. However, the State could help the residents of King's Mill & King's Pond in two ways:

a) Where the road banks, the State has made one side of the sound wall higher than the other side. The noise bounces off the higher wall and then decends upon the homes below. If the State raised the height of the sound walls so the noise would be contained within the walls, that would help a great deal.

b) The State also needs to put the sound walls across the Groometown Road bridge and extend the wall from where it currently ends across the High Point Road bridge. This would help tremendously.

As a side note, we went to every public hearing the State held and at no time did they ever elude to the fact that this would become interstate 40 with 10 lanes of truck traffic. It was "sold" to us as something equivalent to Bryan Boulevard with perhaps 5 or 6 lanes. And that is why we purchased our home. They convinced us that the noise would be minimal. Our entire neighborhood feels we were deceived. We could live with this road if indeed it was a boulevard open to passenger cars, but they made a very irresponsible decision to change it to a heavily used Interstate-40. The State could save a lot of money and headaches by removing the I-40 signs and turning it back into a Boulevard as originally planned.

The Greensboro Outer Loop is a great help to the motorists in the Triad area. DOT officials have done an excellent job completing the loop from Interstate 85 to Bryan Boulevard. Many people don't give credit to the DOT engineers who spend countless hours solving problems to help the safety of motorists. What would happen if the loop was never built.....Interstate 40 and other main thoroughfares would be even more congested than they are now. You should appreciate the infrastructure improvements that are taking place around Greensboro. We all need our city to grow and keep up with the other metropolitan cities around us. If you haven't noticed yet, the bridge that crosses West Friendly Avenue is the longest single-span bridge in the state of North Carolina and we should be proud of this accomplishment. Just take a look at this engineering marvel and you will realize how difficult it is to build roads and bridges. Do you want North Carolina to be one of the best state maintained highway networks in the nation? If so then let the DOT do their job. If you don't like saving driving time (which the loop has done so far) then I would say "don't drive on it!"

I agree with David. The State knew that this section of the "loop" disected heavily populated residential areas. But they chose to turn it into one of the heaviest travelled interstates in this country - I-40. I believe that the State has the responsibility to put up more walls, plant leland cypress trees whereever possible and make the lives of our Southwest residents "whole" again. These people don't deserve the noise and air pollution and stress caused by this new highway.

Linda,

If anyone should be blamed in this, it's the City of Greensboro. They've known for years where this loop was going to go. But they didn't have the intestinal fortitude to keep people from building in and close to the part of the loop. Once again proving that the City bows to the power of the developers.

I find it fascinating how residents near the new loop are all of a sudden upset and disheveled. This road has been under construction for A LONG time and you have to know what living next to a highway would be like. I sympathize with them understanding that not just everyone can relocate, but I just don't get everyone acting like the noise is some big surprise. Just wait until the next section opens........

jUST WAIT TILL FEDX STARTS FLYING 68 PLANES IN AND 68 PLANES BACK OUT AT 3:00 AM IN THE MORNING. YOU WILL NEVER HEAR THE TRUCKS RUMBLE BY.

When we bought our house in Kings Mill in 1992 we signed a paper saying that we were aware that Painter Blvd. was to go thru our neighborhood. It was to be a 4 lane hwy. In 1996 the DOT had a mtg. which many of us attended and we got copies of the maps showing the road going thru our development. It showed 8 lanes and when we questioned DOT about this, they said that it was 4 lanes one way and 4 lanes the other. We were always under the impression that we would have the Blvd. going thru our neighborhood and not I40. We gratefully thank Steve Gladson for fighting for our sound barriers as DOT did not originally plan to put any in our neighborhood as they said there were only about 25 houses here, when in reality there were over 100. They were using outdated maps and they also told us we were a "transient" neighborhood and they weren't worried about us. Steve and our BOD fought for our sound barriers and we are the first in the state to have them on a bridge. The DOT also planned to close our entrance on High Point Rd. as they felt we could use the Kings Pond entrance off Groometown or Sedgefield IX's entrance off Alamance Rd. Forget that it would take emergency vehicles a longer time to get to us or that we would then have to go thru other developments to get out. Steve notified our neighborhood when he was aware of this and organized us to fight the closing of our entrance. Again the DOT did not think about the impact to our neighborhood. I expect Steve is an angry man as he and the rest of us have been lied to those close to the road have been abused by the contractors. This is a fact. They had big rocks falling into their yards and a mud slide and the dirt and 24/7 work and noise. We live 3 blocks away from the road and can no longer enjoy the peace and quiet of our neighborhood with the constant noise, and we have sound barriers. I cannot imagine what the others are going thru that don't have the sound barriers. By the way, Steve and the others were not stupid for buying another house in here as they really wanted to continue to live here. Also, when he moved into his house the DOT had rented it out and the people left a waterbed to drain from the upstairs down and they had much work and money to put into this so called bargain house. Also, they were told the highway would be further from them as it was supposed to be more north of them but again the DOT lied and they also lied to the people on the other side of the highway when they told them they would be taking their house. The other house was on the map to be taken and the DOT reneged and went around it, leaving these people closer to the hwy. If DOT had taken the route thru our neighborhood that the maps showed then, the hill from the highway would not be against Steve's side yard. There is no greed involved and those who live in Kings Mill and have the sound barriers should know that Steve and our BOD fought long and hard to get them and especially Steve. He has reviewed stacks of reports and we have helped him on occasion so I know the hours and nights and weekends that he has put into trying to protect this neighborhood. Thank you Steve, for caring about all of us.

I'm sorry, but those who re-purchased homes in that same subdivision after being bought by the State are fools.

At that point, they all knew that it was going to be an eight-lane highway per the DOT over a decade ago. A modicum of logic would dictate that this new "highway/road/boulevard/whatever" isn't going to be like Bryan Blvd and probably something a wee-bit bigger and noisier. I do feel bad for those in the neighborhood who have been subjected to the noise and construction without the State offering to buy their property. However, those that had a chance to get out... and stayed? You folks made that decision, time to live with it.

David made some excellent points and offered great suggestions to help ease the problems in the neighborhood. NCDOT would do well to listen to the taxpayers -- especially those who were deceived about the realities of I-40 splitting their neighbhorhood in half.

Lurking,

From what we know, the next part to be opened will be the "northern" section. But it will NOT be part of I-40. Although this northern section is also heavily populated, this portion of the "urban loop" will have mostly passenger cars because it will not be an interstate. I'm sure these residents will be affected also, but not nearly as badly as the southwestern residents.

Having just read the postings and some of the uninformed opinions expressed about the Kings Mill residents I would like to comment. I live in Kings Pond, a subdivision that is contiguous to Kings Mill. The neighborhood is wonderful. A very family friendly place with wonderful neighbors who care about their neighborhood. Every Easter and Halloween you will find parties at the neighborhood playground for the residents and their children. On the Fourth of July a small portion of the street is blocked off for a parade by the neighborhood children in their decorated wagons, on their flag festooned bikes, or dressed up as Uncle Sam or Lady Liberty. At just about anytime during the year you will find residents cleaning up the playground, repairing the fence or painting playground equipment. All volunteers. I bought my house in Kings Pond about 14 years ago from a couple with 2 small children who were moving to a larger home in Kings Mill because they also loved the neighborhood. When I bought my home I knew of 'Painter Boulevard'. I did not know that 'Painter Boulevard' was a lie, that what they were building was a 10 lane major highway. We (the people who attended meetings with the DOT about 'Painter Boulevard') were led to believe that what we would have would be another Bryan Blvd. Another Wendover Ave., or a 'connector' to I40 and Bryan Blvd. Not one of the busiest highways around.

I love my home and this neighborhood and the people that live here. I bought my house with the intention of it being the house I would retire in. And the many years of reading about 'Painter Boulevard', attending meetings, looking at maps and talking to DOT personnel, not once was I, or anyone I know, told that what they were really building was a MAJOR highway. So those of you who think that we should have known what we were getting into, well, you need to think again. Believe me, if you ever become a homeowner don't think that this could not happen to you. The callous disregard the state has had for the lives that have been disrupted and the very arrogant attitude they take towards homeowners is disgusting. Just review the News and Records earlier report where the state feels that Charlestowne residents do not get noise abatement because owners of condos don't spend enough time out of doors. How arrogant is that?

If they feel safe enough to do this to the thousands of people this has affected, then don't think that they cannot do it to you.

I would like to invite any of the DOT personnel to join me one morning for a cup of coffee on my patio and then try to explain to me just how Painter Blvd. morphed into a major highway. That is if I could hear them over the traffic noise.

The urban loop is not part of I40. It is Painter Blvd, an urban loop, and a transition from 40 to 85 and vice versa.

Hi Carolyn -

Thank you for your positive comments about our two neighborhoods. You hit the nail on the head when you said that our neighborhoods are family friendly and that we and others were treated with callous disregard and arrogance by the state. We purchased our home in KM in 1992 and figured to stay here in our retirement. These are good neighborhoods and that is the reason why some of the people who were displaced decided to stay and the only homes for sale at the time were the state homes that the state decided they would not take, after paying the original owners to move. Fortunately, we don't have a big turnover in our neighborhoods. But, the state was considering us as "transients" and therefore had no plans to put our sound barriers up. I cannot imagine the noise we would have had without them. It's bad enough with them. We do not hear any noise in our house and it's not too bad when we have the windows open but gone is the wonderful peace and quiet we had on our screen porch and anywhere outside the home. Now, that High Point Rd. is to be widened, they have played their games again by deciding not to widen it by our entrance or thru Sedgefield as people have claimed "historic significance" and therefore it will go behind the old Pilot buildings and come out next to Adams Farm Shopping Center. This widening is the reason they were going to close our entrance. When my husband attended the meeting on this last year; with DOT; he found out that MacKay Rd. will be widened and we will lose the car wash, McDonald's, the lube shop and cleaners as well as Rite Aid. The rep. from Harris Teeter was there as well and told them that if they only left them one entrance as planned, they would move the store from the shopping center and go elsewhere. This is only a "small " amount of upheaval that the DOT has in store for all of us. You can access the maps for this on the DOT website or Greensboro Transportation website. Not sure of the exact one as I accessed them some time ago. The church across from the cemetary is going also as well as numerous other properties and the church will not receive enough money to build again. I think people should support our fight with DOT instead of criticizing as they just don't know what could be in the works for them. And on top of this the DOT wants to be able to tax or receive more taxes than they now receive to waste more of our money. The road (Painter) was moved further into our neighborhood when the Groometown Stables said they were "historical". I don't think they ever filed the papers for this but did see an article in the paper several years ago that the consortium of business men that owned it thought it would make a good commercial property after the bypass came in. Also, we were told we would have an on and off ramp on High Point Rd. and then told they didn't have the money for it. My husband also has those maps and the alternate ramp map showing they would put the ramp there if they had the money. When he spoke with an engineer from Raleigh about how he figured out a more direct route with less bridges and going thru a less populated area, he was told not to tell them their job. Arrogance again and how come Durham has beautiful, high brick sound walls and we get these crummy ones? We all pay taxes but some get better care than others. Anyway, you are right that some people are uninformed and have no idea that these things can happen to them. In closing, we were lied to and would not have bought here if we had known what DOT had in mind for us instead of what they told us. Also, just for the record, once real estate agents knew about this road they "red lined " us and told people not to buy in here and I know that for a fact. So, so much for selling and moving on. Some people that wanted to move to downsize, were waiting till the road was finished so that the mess would be gone and people would see that there would be no more noise than Bryan Blvd. Right!

I had something typed up that wasn't so nice, but it's not worth posting.

I do feel sorry for those of you who have been wronged by the DOT and State, and hope they can provide a decent resolution for all parties. But to those who had their homes bought by the State and chose to remain in the neighborhood? No sympathy.

If Mr. Gladsen is so great, then erect a monument out of the so called rocks that fell in his yard.
The great sound wall on the bridge is a joke. Walk under the bridge and stand there. There is no wall on the inside sections of the 2 bridges. The sound bounces off the wall and comes down between the bridges, causing a whistling effect. Thank you Mr. Gladsen!! Good job not reading a simple engineering book! A DOT inspector even told me that the contractor who completed the concrete road purposely left high spots (bumps) in the concrete in the Kings Mill area as retribution for Mr. Gladsens efforts. Listen for that too. You will hear the familiar bump bump sound when the vehicle tires go over them. Once again, thank you Steve! I attended the same meetings as others, and the DOT did mislead on some of the facts, but common sense in the size of the road footprint showed that it was going to be much larger. I have spoken to two local DOT officials who were in charge of building the road. The chief engineer, Mr. Kirkman, is a nice man but otherwise does not have a clue about roadbuilding. His assistant, Mr. Graham is the most arrogant, obnoxious person I have met. It angers me that my tax dollars pay his salary. My call to him ended with these words, "the road is built, live with it or move!" Imagine the audacity of a DOT official saying that. It is no wonder why the DOT is riddled with problems. It must be the NC State trained engineers who run it! The northern loop will never be built. It will have to go through the great north part of the city. We all know that it is white and out of sight! So in conclusion, what is done has been done, Gladsen is the village idiot, the DOT is incompetent, and all we can do is listen to the delightful sounds of whistles and bumps!!!

Dave

I bet you have no idea about building roads and bridges, so stop attacking the DOT engineers! You probably don't even know where to begin if someone gave you a set of plans. Let the NCDOT do their job. They are doing a fine job considering the funding issues they are going through and will continue to have in the future.

What do you know about sound waves and the sound bouncing off of the walls, between the bridges causing a whistling sound? When and where did you ever study sound? From your entry it sounds like UNC-CH because they have no idea what they are doing in Chapel Hill.

And by the way those engineers that went to NC STATE are the best there is. You would be surprised how demanding the engineering program at NC STATE really is. Any engineering graduate from NC STATE is well qualified in their field of study. NC STATE Engineering is the best in the state and highly spoke of around the nation.

Stop complaining about the outer loop becasue it is a great addition to the Greensboro area with a rapidly increasing urban population!

I also live in King's Pond. I was just amazed when the road opened for the first time of the immense "roar" that permeated over our street. I bought my house in 1996. I contacted the City of Greensboro's transportation dept and personally spoke with a very nice young man. I told him that I was looking at a house in King's Pond and he showed me a map of the area with so-called "Painter Blvd" on it. He pointed out a street on the map and said "if you purchase a house past this street towards High Point Road, you should not have any problems or worries. Well guess what, the home I bought was at least (5) streets away from the "bad area". For 12 years now, I've lived the "American Dream" of home ownership and not worried about the road. In fact, I've made major improvements to our home including a beautifully landscaped backyard. Well, I've been awakened from that dream with the worst nightmare I could imagine. Often we hear the road inside our home especially at 5:30am and 10:00pm. We can't sit outside and carry on a conversation. When the weather is bad or windy, it's three times as loud. We were told the road would probably be (6) lanes; but we thought 3 lanes on each side. I think the State already knew (6) lanes meant six lanes on each side. It has turned out to be 10 lanes. Yes, I believe we were deceived by the State. And worst of all, it is very obvious that City and State officials are lacking in their knowledge about noise, how far it travels, and if noise abatements really help. I don't believe the State can or will do anything to help this part of town. But those residents who live in the area of the "northern loop" better take heed and learn a valuable lesson from their neighbors to the South.

Quote:My house in Winston-Salem is only about 100 yards from one of those "sound walls" where they built the I-40 bypass about 15 years ago. My little house is 84 years old so if there were going to be any "shaking going on", it would DEFINITELY be happening in my house. Dear Miss Kitty I also live in the Kings Mill neighborhood and i am sorry to say that if you live in a 84 year old house a 100 feet from I-40 and don't have any "shaking going on" then you obviously do not live near the NEW I-40/ 85/ 440/ 74/73/220 bypass that I live be side. and as you said you have been there for 10 years obviously yours was by choice! When we built our home in 1992... we DID NOt build to have this as our neighbor! and if NCDOT had been honest from the beginning I am sure none of us would have been there neighbor either!! As far as selling our home, we have tried through numerous Real Estate agents and surprise nobody wants to be the neighbor of this massive interstate instead of a 4 lane boulevard! Not to mention the property values have dropped tremendously and yes that is true! Yes the state of NC and DOT needs to correct the misleadings of the magnitude of this road, excuse me Interstate Highway on the residents and homeowners of Kings Mill. We also went to the public hearings held by the NCDOT and it was not disclosed in these meetings that if was the future 8 lane, Interstate bypass that it has become actually it was denied that it was going to be an 8 lane highway! Read the minutes to the public hearing meetings! I have and they are free to anyone who wants to really see what we were lead to believe in these meetings. Just ask under the NC Right to know Public Information Act. I was even at a Legislative meeting in 2006 and heard it referred to as Painter Boulevard... has anyone seen a street sign that says Painter Boulevard anywhere on this bypass?! I challenege anyone to ride this so call urban loop/ Painter Boulvard and find just "ONE SIGN" that says Painter boulevard as you see on Bryan Boulevard, as we were told the road would be compatiable to, not an 8 lane/ 65 mph speed limit / major connector for the highways in Greensboro and Future highways! Even by NCDOT description there is a major difference in the type of road that constitutes a boulevard and a thoroughfare! I have even asked why NC DOT is not subject to the same disclosure laws the the tax paying citizens of NC are under, if they knew this and it has been on the books for 25 some years as someone else mentioned why was it not disclosed to the public?! Trust me I am not as stupid as NCDOT would want people to think that I am .. I DID NOT build my home and investment next to there Quote "1st time ever project of this magnitude, with 8 lanes and a bridge right through the MIDDLE of a neighborhood!!" If "we" all had known what we know now!!! I am sure this would have been empty land and NCDOT could have built whatever they wanted to on it, as big as they wanted and pleased the big businesses that will most definately profit from this thoroughfare but the residents of Kings Mill should not be the ones that are losing sleep, and yes my house does shake and I it has many cracks and gaps in walls and cement, that were not there before, doors that don't open anymore, and I might could understand that, if my house was 84 Years old but it is only 16 years old. When we built in this neighborhood we also planned for this to be our 'home" we have invested much money in our home but the main thing is this is where our kids grew up.. and people always love to go home!! Not my family!! When we drive into Kings Mill and ride down the road to go to our dream home I get angry everyday, when I see how they have destroyed this beautiful neighborhood with no regards to the people who called this home! People want to think we are just angry over the noise? No that is just ONE piece of the pie! It is the fact that we were lied to, the total disrespect for the home owners by DOT workers and their sub-contractors, the sexual innuendos that have been made to me and my daughter from these workers, losing electricity, phone, internet even water, the things that we all pay for and not knowing when they will decide to get them fixed and back working! The disregard for our safety when they cut a gas line and got there crews out of the area but DID NOT tell the residents that were home at the time!! Am I angry! yes I am! My children were home and there safety wasn't an issue for the NCDOT?! Actually the neighborhood was sealed off to everyone coming into the neighborhood but funny the ones that were in their "SAFE" homes were sealed in!! No I do not feel safe in my home! We were promised a cul -de-sac to stay uniform with the neighborhood, a beautification in the road plans. Another LIE we got a T -turnaround that dead ends into the highway! Yea that added to the beauty of our home! The T instead of the cul de sac has influenced "parkers" and drinkers to sit there at night and party! I do not feel comfortable at at all even to walk my dog! This house is not an asset it is a liability and

it is not what I want to leave for my children! Your home should grow in value and equity, and ours is upside down! We do not see in our lifetime that ever changing! Just getting worse with the increase in traffic, increase in noise, pollution, air quality, trucks carrying hazardous waste, subjecting our family to hazardous material in the event of an accident! We are not qineau pigs and did not agree to be tested as one! Even test people agree and are compensated! We do not want to be tested on the 1st time ever project of this magnitude and a bridge in a neighborhood with the possibilities of anything happening, for them to come back and say "maybe we shouldn't have subjected the residents to that!" My family means more to me than that to be used to see if it affects our breathing, hearing and any other effects later in life! In closing I would like to thank the BOD and Steve Gladson for there hard work in trying to keep this looking as much like a neighborhood as they could, but we all know they were not going to stop the NCDOT! They were going to build the highway, as big as they wanted and where they wanted it in total disregard for the residents of Kings Mill and Kings Pond for that matter! Isn't it also possible with all the lies that have been told to many residents that the NCDOT could have also lied to the Gladsons when they bought there 2nd home from the state because they displaced them from there 1st home?! As some one stated earlier "We are all family, and we do have many social events as a neighborhood, and enjoyed our homes! I love my neighbors, and loved my home, the peace and solitude of being home! NCDot didn't destroy the peace and solitude when the highway opened a couple of weeks ago, they destroyed it 7 years ago when they tore down the houses and started construction through our neighborhood! We didn't just get angry recently, we have just finally seen the finished project of the big "LIE!"

We bought our home in 1996. We were shown maps, did research, and were assured that the road would be comparable to Holden Road. Unfortunately as the years went on the road got bigger until finally it is now Route 40. Yes, we were surprised! I cannot thank Steve Gladson enough for the time, effort and hard work he put into dealing with DOT. He has truly been a champion for our neighborhood. I am thankful for the sound barriers, both on the bridge and on the ground. I can only imagine what things would be like had Mr. Gladson not taken up the cause.

Welllll, am I to believe that the DOT inspector told Dave that the contractor left bumps in the road because of Steve? Wow, what a confession of wrongdoing and to think the DOT was aware of it and didn't stop it from happening. Sounds like a lawsuit from our neighborhood for discriminating against us because we stuck up for ourselves. By the way, we had no choice as to how the DOT put the sound barriers up and they; not Steve; left them out of the center of the bridge. Altho, they did agree with his request to put them on the bridge. Yes, there is noise under the bridge and that's because DOT didn't finish the job. They did only what they felt they had to to shut us up. Steve isn't looking for a monument and neither is anyone else. He and the BOD just did their jobs as best they could against big odds and we made out much better than many others. Dave, by the way, what was the name of that DOT inspector?

The Urban Loop and Interstate 40, 73, 74 and 85 connectors are a source of noise pollution in other areas besides Kings Pond. At Hilltop Road the Urban Loop is about 35 feet above grade. This highway design broadcasts the noise over great distances. Some of my neighbors in Sedgefield Lakes, who live a half mile from the road, have commented about the excessive noise level.

The type of noise from heavy trucks is of low frequency. The NCDOT uses the A scale to measure sound intensity. The A scale filters out low frequency noise. Measurements using the A scale are designated as dBA. The A scale should not be used for measuring highway noise. For example at 50 Hz or fifty cycle per second noise, the noise meter filters out 999/1000 of the noise. Only 1/1000 of the noise around 50 Hz is registered on the sound meter. At 100 Hz, only 1/100 of the noise is registered and rest is filtered out. In reality only about 1/10 of the total sound energy from heavy trucks is accounted for when the sound is measured using the A scale.

Highway noise should be measured using the C scale. The C scale does not filter out as much of the low frequency sound. When C scale measurements are made, the sound pressure is in neighborhood of 80 to 90 decibles instead of 65 decibles that the A scale measures. Long term exposure to 80 decible sound pressure can lead to permanant hearing loss.

Here's an interesting article called "The Best Way To Control Road Noise"

http://news.carjunky.com/control_road_noise.shtml

Also, check out this website

http://quietpavement.com/

Lurking said,"The urban loop is not part of I40. It is Painter Blvd, an urban loop, and a transition from 40 to 85 and vice versa."
Where are you from? The "loop" IS I-40, and now the "old" 40 is Business 40. I live in Sedgefield Lakes, a little ways down from the overpass on Hilltop. Inside our house, with the doors and windows closed, the noise from the loop sounds like airplanes constantly flying low over our house. We hear the traffic starting from way to the left and right of the overpass, because there are no noise walls anywhere around our section. I can't imagine how people deal with it if they live closer than we do. We moved here in 1998, and we weren't overly worried about the planned loop, because it was going to be a boulevard, comparable to Wendover. This is not like Wendover. It has tractor-trailers running 24/7. Those of you posting comments criticizing our complaints - you have no right to do so if you don't live in an area affected by this loop, and the deception that has gone along with it.

June, how far would you say you live from the new freeway loop? I'm honestly curious... would you say it's an eighth of a mile? Quarter of a mile?

I'm only asking because right now I'm leasing a townhouse that is in a development less than a quarter of a mile from a section of highway that accomodates both I-85 and I-40. We have no sound deadening, and the lovely developers of our shoddy little community have been tearing down what trees we did have for any noise abatement to make way for more townhomes! Even in the winter and now, with fewer trees to reflect the noise, it has never bothered me. It has never even shook our poorly-built little townhouse, even when you can hear a trucker hit his jake brake.

I live less than a quarter mile from I-85/I-40 and, to me, the noise is hardly bothersome. Can I hear it? Sure - it's just a relatively constant low rumble off in the distance. We just bought a new house that's far away from ANY highway... chances are crickets chirping will now keep me awake at night and I'll long for my relaxing highway rumble.

I think these people have a valid complaint except for this Steve character. He is in it for the money according to what I read in this article. If the government paid you for your house, well over asking price from what I understand too and then you go and buy another house in this development you're just asking for it and I don't feel sorry for you Steve. These other people I can sympathize more with them because they did come right in the middle of their neighborhood and put in what is now I-40 when it was supposedly going to be a urban loop, it is the new 40 and I can only imagine the noise especially at night with these trucks. You can trust the city or any form of government and we should all know that by now, but what can you people do now????