Traffic plan a danger to our health?

A group of residents near the planned road widening of Glenn McConnell Parkway have said they'd really like to see a noise barrier included in the plan. As absurd as it sounds, not including one could put more at risk from coronary heart disease and a host of other ailments.

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Live 5 News reports:

Richard says there isn't much of a noise buffer separating his yard from the traffic, and he wants to see a sound barrier included in the proposal to widen the road.

"If I saw the sound barrier in the plan, I'd say 'Hey, they're trying to do something.' I don't see the sound barrier in the plans. To me they're not doing anything, they're not planning on doing anything," Richard said.

...

In a report published by the National Institutes of Health, a study showed that noise pollution from traffic is a risk-factor for a person who develops coronary heart disease.

Also cited as side effects of noise pollution, from Wikipedia: "Hearing impairment, hypertension, ischemic heart disease, annoyance, sleep disturbance, and decreased school performance."

If you don't like the way the project's headed, Charleston County RoadWise will take comments through July 22.

Construction could start next summer and go through 2011.