PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. — A neighborhood in northern Palm Beach County continues to navigate noise pollution.
Residents of Palm Beach Country Estates live beside Florida’s Turnpike and I-95, and said it has affected their health and even changed the way they live.
WATCH: Residents say tree removal leaves them exposed
“Everything was perfect and then, you know, less than a week ago they cut out all the trees,” said resident Daren de Ford.
Neighbors told WPTV reporter Zitlali Solache they’ve been fighting for solutions for decades and now with a row of trees removed, the road volume has turned up.
“The noise is really the thing,” said de Ford. “You can’t even hardly carry on a conversation sitting in our backyard without yelling.”
Other neighbors down the street, like Jose Acosta, said the removal of the trees has also brought privacy concerns for his family.
“We used to have hammocks here, but now we can’t because it’s too bad and you know you feel that everybody’s looking at you,” said Acosta.
A sound wall is the solution they’re calling for as decibels start at 70 and reach more than 125.
“We just want something to be done to solve this problem,” said Acosta. “Across the interstate on 95 they have a wall but not on this side.”
WPTV then drove to the South Indian River Water Control District meeting, where more neighbors shared concerns as the group plans to cut more trees in phase two to make sure canals drain properly ahead of hurricane season.
“Once you get to phase two, it’s even harder because we’re going to get more noise pollution,” said Greta Foriere. “We’re going to be more affected.”
The problem has received support from local representative Meg Weinberger, who sent us a statement:
I appreciate the residents of Palm Beach Country Estates for voicing their concerns about noise from Florida's Turnpike and I-95. I understand the frustration this has caused and recognize the urgency. We are in contact with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). I am committed to advocating for this solution and will work diligently to resolve the noise issues affecting our community.
In the meantime, some neighbors are finding temporary but pricey solutions.
“I think its probably going to cost us $7,000 to $8,000 to put something up for a barrier where the noise isn’t as bad and we don’t look at the Turnpike every single day,” said de Ford.
We also reached out to Florida Turnpike officials pushing for answers on the matter, but did not hear back.
