Q. Are there any plans to put sound barriers in neighborhoods that are close to the highways? I live in Foxfire subdivision, which is north of Dhu Varren near US-23 and M-14. The developer put up a massive berm in the west section. In my opinion, that did little to stop the noise there and seemed to make the noise worse in our area just east of it.

A. Don’t look for relief any time soon–tight budgets mean that the Michigan Department of Transportation can tackle only the most critical projects. Its five-year plan for Washtenaw and surrounding counties includes just one sound barrier, on M-59 in Howell.

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