Not All Residents Near Highways Get Benefit Of Noise Walls

So why do some areas get noise walls, and some areas don't?

That's what James Sandling wanted to know.

DOT put the 64 Highway Bypass right next to the house of Sandling, who moved to Knightdale 28 years ago.

He said the traffic noise never stops, and he has repeatedly asked the DOT for a noise wall.

"In this world that we live in, with all the things that go on, it was always a pleasure to come home and have a little peace," Sandling said.

There's no peace now, he said.

"We're one house out here so we don't meet their criteria for putting up a noise wall," he said.

The DOT said there has to be enough impacted households to keep the noise wall costs down to 25,000 per affected household.

The noise walls that went up years ago along I-540 cost $500,000 for a half mile.

Even if people live in a subdivision, there are no guarantees, DOT officials said. The slope of the land can make a noise wall useless, they said.

And in Sandling's case, his house is not even close to meeting DOT's criteria for building the noise walls, DOT officials said.

"DOT is not one of my favorite people right now," Sandling said.