Officials Trying To Silence Noise Pollution Along I-287

Officials are attempting to do something about the constant noise pollution coming from Interstate 287. They say the constant noise affects residents’ quality of life.

Mahwah Councilwoman Janet Ariemma said the problem is the fact that the heavily-traveled roadway is paved with concrete instead of asphalt. The highway passes through wooded suburban areas and the Campgaw Mountain Reservation in Mahwah and through parts of Franklin Lakes and Oakland as well.

Ariemma said thousands of people live on Ridge Road in condominiums less than a quarter of a mile from the interstate.

“It would help the people of this town, and other nearby towns, if they put asphalt down instead of concrete,” Ariemma said. ”There’s so many condos that are right on top of 287 and concrete tends to echo more than asphalt does.”

Ariemma has written to Jamie Fox, commissioner of the state Department of Transportation, about the noise pollution and to see if anything can be done to reduce it. She has not received a response back.

“This absolutely affects people’s quality of life and people’s health,” Ariemma said. “If people can’t sleep at night it disrupts their whole life.”

Persons experiencing sleep insufficiency are also more likely to suffer from chronic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, depression, and obesity, as well as from cancer, increased mortality, and reduced quality of life and productivity, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“We’re talking about something people should be much more concerned with,” Ariemma said.