WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — Several residents who live in the Westover Acres neighborhood of West Columbia are dealing with lots of noise, and have been for the last year.
They haven't had much luck with solutions, so they turned to News19 on your side.
Booms, drilling, horns, sirens, the rush of traffic and other noises are ongoing they explain, in the early hours of the morning, during rush hour and at the end of the work day.
This is what Mark Podmore, Joy Sullivan and Terri Mosley, neighbors in Westover Acres, hear on a constant basis.
They tell News 19 the noise has been a thorn in their side and that it started when SCDOT trimmed and then completely removed trees at the end of their street on Robin Crest Drive.
"It's very counterproductive to being able to work from home," Podmore said.
According to SCDOT, it's construction related to the Carolina Crossroads project, aka Malfunction Junction.
Sullivan explains it's not just the construction. It's that, plus heavy traffic noises, which she adds will only become louder when more lanes are added.
"It is a constant bang bang bang, all day long, I mean it's really psychologically trying," Sullivan said. "And we are not anti-growth at all. We know that these things need to be done, but we're a community that is living alongside an interstate that is now hearing the interstate for the first time."
These neighbors express they want their voices heard so they have started to make noise of their own.
"As many of the neighbors as possible are just sending daily emails, phone calls, text messages, whatever we can do to get this issue resolved. It's really bad that we have to keep making so much noise," Podmore said.
Podmore explains he's been in constant contact with SCDOT about this issue, but that they tell him his section of the neighborhood doesn't qualify for a noise wall.
News 19 reached out to SCDOT about these concerns. SCDOT tell us they are aware of the noise in the area, and that on this project, only three areas met standards for a noise wall along I-20. SCDOT added that while a noise wall isn't approved, they continue to work closely with these neighbors and local officials to explore alternatives like trees and new landscaping.
For any customer concerns, SCDOT can be reached at 855-467-2368. For information from SCDOT via email, click here.