Included in the project is a sound barrier wall. For years the community has sought ways to mitigate the excess noise pollution generated by I-70. Solutions such as tunnels and burying I-70 are cost prohibitive, leaving only soundwalls as a viable solution. Many areas of Vail are already in violation of federal highway noise standards. CDOT has tried solutions such as noise reducing asphalt to no avail. As traffic inevitably increases in the coming years, the situation is only going to become worse. The Town of Vail has identified the impacted neighborhoods in a detailed highway noise study of the entire community in 2005. The report showed where soundwalls would be the most effective. But beyond those locations, protective soundwalls could be installed to reduce the highway noise levels in other neighborhoods that are not yet at pollution levels.

Sound Reduction Can be Significant - Listen to the Before and After Differences: Review the linked audio recording of reductions in highway noise levels from behind soundwalls of varying heights. The audio clip was taken with a calibrated audio measuring instrument from a fixed location alongside of Interstate 70 near the location of the proposed Simba Run Underpass. A measurement was taken of the normal I-70 traffic noise and two additional measurements lowering the noise level by 5 and 7 decibels (db) each were taken to demonstrate the effect of soundwalls of different heights.

The audio clip of these measurements is accessible online. It begins with the normal highway noise level, then drops by 5 db, then replays the normal level followed by a drop of 7 db. The difference between the normal condition and 7 db, would bring down the noise level for a nearby resident so much so that they could for the first time enjoy their outside decks and have windows open on a sunny summer or winter afternoon. This drop in the effects of highway traffic noise would not only benefit quality of life for affected residents, it would also increase resale value of the benefiting residential units and properties.

Soundwalls in the Denver Metro Area (above) and in Summit County (below)

Some of the adjacent property owners have seized on the soundwalls as a reason to scuttle the entire project. Federal regulations require that residents who would directly benefit from a soundwall project, vote on whether they desire it to be built or not. The voters are owners and residents of residential units adjacent to the Simba Run Underpass. These units have been evaluated by authorities as being those residents who stand to materially benefit from the wall. Because it owns the adjacent Timber Ridge Affordable Housing Complex, now under redevelopment, the Town of Vail will casts nearly 34% of the vote.

Community Decision: While the decision to include soundwalls at the Simba Run Underpass is going to be submitted to a vote of the affected area, the implications are community-wide. CDOT is treating the Simba Run soundwall issue as a "one and done" decision whereby a rejection there would be treated as a community-wide decision to reject any soundwalls.

Reconsideration could be a long time coming and CDOT will not look favorably on restoring a proposal that has been previously rejected. In fairness, it should be the entire community that is given the opportunity to say whether it wants the sound barrier wall based upon knowing when, where and how much a community-wide design and project will benefit the quality of their Vail experience. 

More study is required to provide the community with a comprehensive overview of the importance of this decision. There now is sufficient data that the cost and sequencing of a system of community-wide sound barrier walls can be easily calculated. As well, the cost of delaying the Simba Run Underpass can be estimated in a side by side comparison of the sooner or later costs of expanding the Main and West Vail roundabout. These factors should be in hand before decision makers render a final judgment on whether to proceed or not with the construction of either, or both, the underpass and associated sound barrier.

The noise study is a requirement of federally funded transportation projects; the federal government is funding nearly 70% of the Simba Run project. If the project exceeds its budget, the project need not necessarily be scrapped; additional funds could be requested or the project could be shelved until more funding becomes available.

The requirement for soundwalls was not anticipated nor included in the project's original $20 million cost estimate. The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Town of Vail have known for several years, because of earlier noise studies conducted by the Town, that I-70 was in violation of federal noise standards.

It is important to note that the Interstate's violation of noise pollution standards extends for the most part through the entire length of the Vail community. If CDOT desires to expand traffic capacity through Vail, it will continue to confront the soundwall requirement. The Town, because it has not prepared an adequate community-wide soundwall plan, should resist being drawn into CDOT projects that are funded in a manner that uses the Town's lack of an acceptable soundwall plan as a reason for CDOT to not fulfill its responsibility to solve the Interstate noise pollution problem throughout the entire community.

As the CDOT noise study shows, there is a direct quality of life and financial effect upon property valuations for affected owners from interstate noise pollution. Noise pollution levels are expected to increase along with traffic projections. There could be added environmental benefits such as installing a state of the art roadway drainage system, which would be a major first step in cleaning up the effects of roadway pollution on Gore Creek.