Soon, noise barriers to give Suman Nagar residents sound sleep

For four years, residents have been complaining about the noise from the busy Suman Nagar junction flyover. file pic

There's good news for residents who are tired of the constant din from the Suman Nagar junction on Sion Panvel Highway. The MMRDA has finally decided install sound barriers along the flyover to reduce noise pollution.

MMRDA Joint Project Director Dilip Kawatkar said, "In order to reduce the noise pollution that takes place because of the vehicular traffic at the Suman Nagar junction flyover, we have now invited tenders for installing noise barriers on the flyover."

The installation of noise barriers has been in the pipeline for over four years now, as the flyover is one of the busiest on the Eastern Express Highway. Around four years ago, local residents had also written to MMRDA on the matter.

The decision to install the noise barriers was taken after a noise-mapping study was conducted. The MMRDA has successfully erected noise barriers on three flyovers along Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Road at the cost of nearly R19 crore.

mid-day had also reported in the past that an MMRDA team went to Italy in 2011 to study noise barrier projects. The department later said it would install soundwalls on all flyovers and road overbridges constructed in the future.

By this time, the authorities had already started a pilot project in BKC that proved successful in 2010. Before the noise barriers were installed along the road near

Kalanagar in BKC, the decibel level was between 60 and 90 db, which has since come down to 50-55 dB during the day, and well below 45 dB in the night.