Written question asked by Chris Ruane (Labour) on Thursday, 15 January 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 19 January 2015. It was answered by John Hayes (Conservative) on Wednesday, 21 January 2015 on behalf of the Department for Transport.

Roads: Noise

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what examples his Department holds of best practice in respect of work carried out to reduce traffic noise for residents living alongside main roads.

Answer: Best practice measures that can be used to reduce road noise for residents living alongside the strategic road network are set out in the Design Manual for Roads and Bridges HD213/11. Low noise surfacing can be installed on new roads or when replacing existing worn out surfaces. Noise mitigation can be incorporated into the design of new roads by routeing away from properties where practicable and using cuttings and other land forms to act as noise barriers. Noise barriers, made from a wide variety of materials are also used to reduce road noise.

Secondary information