Residents Vote For Sound Barriers On New Tappan Zee Bridge
TARRYTOWN, N.Y. (CBSNewYork) - Residents near the site of the new Tappan Zee Bridge have voted overwhelmingly to add sound barriers on both sides of the Hudson River once the new bridge is complete.
Brian Conybeare, Gov. Andrew Cuomo's special adviser for the project, said the votes were 94 percent and above.
The New York State Thruway Authority said the barriers, which would cost $2 million, will muffle the din of traffic by seven decibels. That's off of the 70 decibels usually given off by traffic.
For perspective, the Thruway Authority said a chainsaw gives off 120 decibels and a whisper is 20 decibels.
Residents Vote For Sound Barriers On New Tappan Zee Bridge
"The noise is terrible and it's going to be closer to the right side, so you have to put the barriers for the noise," one woman told Adams.
She added that they should be see-through, and that's a possibility.
Online, the Thruway Authority has renderings with different noise buffer options.
LINKS: Rockland Presentation | Westchester Presentation (PDFs)
They'll range from 10 to 18 feet tall. On land they'll be made of concrete. But on the bridge itself, there's an option to have clear panels that would be functional and also pleasing to the eye.
The Thruway Authority hopes to open the new bridge in 2018.
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