July 1, 2002
Mr. Andrew L. Warren
District Administrator
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Department of Transportation
7000 Geerdes Boulevard
King of Prussia, PA 19406
Dear Mr. Warren:
As a member of the Great Valley Association I want to take this opportunity to thank you for your letter dated March 22, 2002 (enclosed) to the Association regarding the noise abatement issue.
Our expectation, based on previous statements from your Department, was that the decision regarding the sound walls and the road surface would have been made public well before this time. Can you tell us when the sound study results will be released and where the study presently stands? We are concerned about the delay, but we wait patiently for a favorable decision from your Department.
As you are well aware, many major roads in the S.E. Pennsylvania area are paved with asphalt and I am sure that considerations for these roads also involved life cycle issues. Concrete roads take longer to repair and are much more expensive to repair, something that you must also be well aware of. The Blue Route has lasted 20+ years without problems. Asphalt can be re-milled overnight with little, if any, traffic disruption. A new, easily installed, two inch topcoat makes it a brand new roadway, etc., etc.
As to noise, I drive the recently paved Route 202, Section 400, everyday. Although, it is much quieter than the old surface, it by no means compares to asphalt regarding noise attenuation. The tire whine and other noises generated where the rubber meets the road are an obvious audible nuisance.
We know that your department will be guided by a variety of requirements on these issues, but as you well know, a professional engineering study conducted for the Great Valley Association showed that the road noise from Route 202 was in excess of the State standards, something that I am sure your own study will also confirm.
Quality of life is very important for the residents of the Route 202 corridor and well-designed sound walls and an asphalt road surface will help ensure that our quality of life is not degraded by the huge intrusion of the Route 202 expansion.
Sincerely,
Walter O. Leshniowsky
Concerned Resident
Member -Great Valley Association, P.O. Box 328, Paoli, PA 19301-0328
Member - GVA – 202 Section 300 Noise Abatement Subgroup
Enclosure
Cc: Great Valley Association Board
GVA – 202 Section 300 Noise Abatement Subgroup
GVA Website