The recent clearing of trees and brush along 526 has significantly increased the visibility of highway traffic as well as the amount of noise experienced by homeowners who live in the surrounding area. This has had a significant effect on homeowners’ quality of life. The elevation in noise level has a negative impact on the enjoyment of the outdoors which attracts many people to the Charleston area. Who wants to sit outside in the evening, hold a barbecue, or lounge at the pool when the sounds of traffic prevent you from having normal conversation? 
Not only does this impact every day activities, it adversely affects the resale value of homes for everyone in the neighborhood. How do you convince a  new homeowner to purchase a property when they can see highway traffic while they are eating dinner? The resale value of each home is used for comparison for every home purchase in the neighborhood whether or not you live along the highway.

The South Carolina Department of Transportation has no immediate intention of addressing this issue despite clearing all of the natural sound barrier and acknowledging the ever increasing amount of traffic experienced along 526. Current plans for expansion of the highway are taking place in North Charleston and there is no plan to address the sound we experience in our neighborhood before 2022. 

I encourage you to consider signing this petition to demand action now from SCDOT