Did You Hear? I-275 Noise May Get Worse, Then (Hopefully) Better

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FARMINGTON HILLS, MI – For almost 40 years, noise associated with Interstate 275 has been deafening for residents of Farmington Hills and two other communities.

Now, a fix may be in the works for the section of the freeway that runs through Farmington Hills and Livonia, The Farmington Observer reports.

The project, announced last fall and set to begin this spring, will run from Five Mile Road north through the Interstate 96, Interstate 696 and Michigan 5 interchange. The road surface will be replaced, and all interchange ramps and 16 bridges will receive attention.

The Michigan Department of Transportation wants officials from Farmington Hills, Novi and Livonia to issue noise waivers that allow for around-the-clock construction, allowing contractors to complete the reconstruction in five months, rather than over two full construction cycles.

Extending the construction cycle would nearly double the $95 million project to $180 million. Farmington Hills’ costs would also increase 40 percent from the approximately $700,000 estimated today.

Farmington Hills officials hope to use bargaining power.

“We have had a noise issue with I-275 for close to four decades,” Farmington Hills Councilman Richard Lerner said at a meeting Monday. “We’ve never gotten a response. This is a chance to remedy a 40-year-old problem. You want something from us? We’re looking for MDOT to finally do something for the residents who live along (I-275).”

MDOT plans to plant about 500 trees that, although not a noise abatement solution, which may buffer some of the sound during construction, and construction crews won’t be able to crush concrete at night while they’re working on a roadway.

But Farmington Hills residents want something more permanent, like a noise abatement wall. MDOT project manager Ishrat Jahan said that’s not feasible.

“The noise is horrible,” Nahid Attee, a Meadowbrook Hills resident for 35 years. “We can’t sit on our deck. I refuse to bring people to my beautiful home ... they go out on the deck with all this noise.”

Given the sentiments of Attee and others, the request for a noise abatement waiver puts the council “in a tough spot,” Councilwoman Theresa Rich said.

The abatement waiver will be discussed more at the Jan. 25 meeting of the Farmington Hills City Council.