Brief discussion on the 4 kinds of traffic noise, the decibel as the unit of measure for sound, and the steps Colorado Department of Transportation takes for noise mitigation along highways and during highway construction.

Traffic noise abatement in mountain corridors can be difficult because traditional roadside barriers may be ineffective due to topography or may not fit the setting. This study examined current best practices from around the world to gather concepts for mitigating traffic noise in mountain corridors in Colorado. A literature review of prospective noise abatement actions found that noise barriers are the most effective direct noise abatement measure,...

The overall purpose of the Colorado Department of Transportations (CDOTs) Noise Program Book is to provide a single-source reference that identifies the major elements of the Noise Program. The Noise Program Book is intended to give the user the opportunity to assess project-specific needs and provide direction to additional information, as needed.

This research project reviewed potential noise barrier materials made from scrap tires, selected a material for field testing, designed and built a test barrier at the designated site using the material, and monitored barrier performance for one year. The material selected was a railroad tie replacement made from scrap tire treads

The Colorado-specific safety knowledge base, developed and effectively applied in the design process at CDOT, is not yet used to inform the planning process. This report transfers the use of these Colorado-specific, predictive and diagnostic tools to the transportation planning process. It develops a proposed methodology for the Explicit Consideration of Safety in the Transportation Planning Process by focusing on science-based and data-driven project...