Predictors of noise annoyance from construction of a large metropolitan highway project

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate factors that may explain annoyance from noise generated by a large road construction project. A total of 1409 participants were divided in two groups based on the distance of their dwelling to the construction site. They responded to a socio-acoustic survey in order to describe their personal situation and their perception of various noise sources. Socio-demographically, there were no differences between groups. However, the target group (closer to the construction site) exhibited a higher level of annoyance. Noise levels generated by the construction work explained a marginal proportion of the variance in annoyance (<1%). Socio-demographic, psychosocial and contextual factors explained a much larger proportion of the variance (between 51.7 and 70.0%). When identifying a policy response for noise generated by the construction of a major road project, special consideration should be given to these factors.