A4 dual carriageway noise ruining residents’ lives
RESIDENTS who have had the rural tranquillity of their homes shattered by the new A4 dual carriageway have launched a protest with the Roads Service.
The residents who live close to Quinn’s Corner and Ballygawley village say their lives have been badly affected by the noise which begins at high levels from about 4am.
Many of the residents’ homes were built in unblighted rolling countryside before the new £146 million road was completed.
The 13 mile long carriageway was opened in 2010, replacing a twisting stretch of single carriageway that had a high fatality rate.
The new road abandoned the path of the old A4 and cut a swathe through unspoilt countryside. Construction company Lagan Ferrovial has already attempted to minimise the disruption caused by noise pollution by building fences and creating banks of trees.
The issue has been raised at meeting between Dungannon District Council and Roads Service.
Currently, complaints from a total of six residents are being monitored, Roads Service has revealed.
The council have called for consultants to measure the levels of noise pollution and provide solutions to the problem.
“These residents have raised genuine concerns about the levels of noise they are experiencing”, said SDLP councillor Anthony McGonnell who lives alongside the road.
“Their quality of life has been changed dramatically from total rural tranquillity to high levels of traffic noise night and day.
“The new road carries a lot of HGVs which can be heard from 4am in the mornings. Some people are very vulnerable to such high levels of noise, and their sleep patterns and health can be negatively affected.
“Everything should be done possible to alleviate this problem.”
The road was designed to the “highest environmental standards” according to Roads Service.
“This included construction and relocation of a badger sett, habitat enhancement for a stretch of realigned Oona Water and extensive landscape planting along the length of the new roads.”
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Weather for Dungannon
Thursday 23 May 2013
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