MISSOULA – The Lower Rattlesnake neighborhood in Missoula is looking very different and will be much quieter thanks to new sound barriers that were installed on Tuesday.
They are being put up as part of the on-going Van Buren Street Interchange Project with homes along the north side of Interstate 90 from the beginning of the entrance ramp to the end of the exit ramp getting some protection from highway noise.
The Montana Department of Transportation says the barriers came is in response to those in the neighborhood who have voiced their concerns over the sounds of highway traffic.
The sound barrier project is expected to completed in August.
“A couple of months ago we began excavating and pouring the footing concrete, so that’s all in and now we’re just going to come in with cranes and set those preset panels that were precast here in Missoula," MDT construction operations engineer Donny Pfeifer explained. "They’ll just set here on the cast and we’ll set a good portion of panels every week.”
The installation of the panels is not expected to create any additional travel impacts to the Van Buren Street Interchange project.
