NORTH CHARLESTON — For nearly four decades, residents in Northwood Estates and Deer Park have asked for relief from traffic noise coming from Interstate 26.
As more and more cars travel through the main artery to and from Charleston, residents say their cries for help are still going unanswered.
“I have served in so many other capacities, but this is one of them that I feel I was not heard. My sincerity was not heard,” said former Councilwoman Virginia Jamison, who spent eight years on City Council advocating for a noise barrier along the corridor.
Now, Councilwoman Stephanie Ganaway-Pasley, who was elected to represent the district that encompasses these neighborhoods in a special election in May, is reigniting efforts to secure a noise barrier. After Jamison retired at the end of 2023, Sandino Moses was elected in District 3; he was one of three councilmembers swept up in the federal investigation centered on North Charleston and resigned from his role in February.
Over the last several months, Ganaway-Pasley has met with staff of public officials, ranging from local representatives to state leaders. She said she believes the reasons a solution has not come to fruition is due to funding and a lack of consistency among elected leaders in prioritizing the project.
In the meantime, residents living in homes that back up to the state-owned interstate still experience the impacts of the roaring vehicles as they pass. And it’s only getting worse.
Noise disrupting daily life
As Jamison looked outside her kitchen window on a September afternoon from her home on Long Shadow Lane, she saw a stream of tractor trailer trucks rolling up and down the interstate. In the next several weeks, as the foliage falls from the trees, the natural barrier will provide less protection from the sound.
As the volume of vehicles has multiplied over the years, the rumble she hears from inside her home has become consistent. Routine car accidents cause traffic to stall, inundating the neighborhood with fumes, she said.
“Even in the last year so much has changed,” said Jamison, who moved into her home 40 years ago with the expectation she wouldn’t move away.
Ganaway-Pasley said she has talked with other residents who have considered selling their homes because the sound.
“I certainly understand the impact noise can have on the community,” she said. “The barrier wall is not only an important solution to reduce noise, but also plays a significant role in improving the overall quality of life for residents because it will create a quieter, more peaceful environment.”
The corridor is no stranger to noise studies. Over the years, several studies have shown the noise far exceeds the federal guidelines of 60 decibels. A 2014 study funded by Charleston County looked at a 1.7-mile stretch along I-26 in Northwood Estates. The study found the highway generated too much noise for nearby residents, but the estimated cost exceeded the federal cost-per-home limits.
Residents were hopeful the county’s Palmetto Commerce Interchange project would prompt the construction of a noise wall. In 2020, the county conducted another study that used current traffic data and predicted traffic in the next 20 years. This study also found decibel levels too high, but a barrier wall was not deemed feasible or reasonable in SCDOT’s Traffic Noise Abatement Policy.
Ganaway-Pasley said she doesn’t want more money poured into studies instead of “fixing the problem.”
She said the project will likely cost roughly $17 million for a 25-foot-tall concrete wall, which she believes is the best option compared to wood or metal barriers. The funding will need to be a collaborative effort among the city, county and state, she said.
Jamison applied for the federal Reconnecting Communities grant in 2023, but was not awarded funds. She said securing funds from the state Transportation Infrastructure Bank should be the next priority.
Russel Coletti, a resident whose home backs up to the interstate, has spent decades advocating for a solution by meeting with elected officials and DOT planners.
“We keep getting tossed into a perpetual circle of nothing getting done,” he said.
He said the resurgence of the conversation with Ganaway-Pasley’s leadership is bringing momentum to the cause. But he’s still waiting for a plan to be put in place.
“Whether we have traction is yet to be seen,” he said. “I’m waiting for the traction, and that’s when I’ll start getting happy.”