Noise from Berlin G. Myers project a concern in nearby neighborhoods

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Day four of the traffic shifts for the Berlin G. Myers Parkway Project Phase 3 in Dorchester County has some residents concerned about the amount of noise coming into their neighborhood with the project in full swing.

South Carolina Department of Transportation began the first of two lane shifts Monday evening which moved the southbound lane traffic onto the newly constructed road ramp. The second shift will move northbound traffic on Berlin G. Myers Parkway onto the existing southbound alignment.

Mixed emotions and mixed feelings are just some of the responses given as the Berlin G. Myers Project enters Phase 3.

Ashley Hayward works seconds away from the construction. She says the road work doesn’t bother her.

“But it takes me about 25 minutes to get here and my commute is not bad at all. I like it,” Hayward says. “When I got here, they were starting Berlin G. Myers, so I don’t know what it was like before.”

However, some residents do.

Carol Poplin lives on Ashley Drive in the Twin Oaks Subdivision. She’s been a resident of the subdivision since 1996 and claims it’s one of the oldest in the area. Poplin says she’s expecting construction to go on for years and she’s dealt with some of the consequences head-on.

“Last night they started asphalt on the road. And they had it down to one lane it was all cones everywhere and then at night, it’s hard to see at night anyway and I’m missing my street because it looks totally different,” Poplin says.

Poplin says she’s hoping the project will alleviate the N Main Street traffic which she says is a nightmare. But not only that, she says drivers cut through her neighborhood to get to Old Trolley Road to avoid the construction and the light. One house even had to place cement spikes to keep drivers from cutting through their yard. But the latest con has been the noise.

“The road noise from the parkway and Trolley when fire trucks go by, I feel like they’re going down my street it’s so loud,” Poplin says. “And we never noticed it before because I think the trees blocked a lot of the sound so now, we’re hearing everything.”

Poplin says there are pros and cons to every project, but she and other residents hope the pros outweigh the issues.

If you have a road concern that’s driving you crazy, you can submit it here.