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In May 1992 the State Government of Victoria called for expressions of interest from companies to build, own and operate western and southern bypasses in Melbourne. This was the birth of the City Link project, a development which would ultimately cost $2 billion dollars. In December 1994 the Melbourne City Link Authority was created by an Act of Parliament, and on the 29th of May, 1995, Transurban was selected as the project developer. The project was opened completely in December 2000. Trasurban will run the tollway for 34 years. City Link is divided into two sections, the Western Link and the Southern Link. The Southern Link consists of two tunnels beneath the Yarra River and upgraded roads from the city to the end of the Monash Freeway. The Western Link, which this assignment will focus on, consists of the upgraded Tullamarine Freeway between Bulla Road and Flemington Road, an elevated roadway through West Melbourne and a bridge over the Yarra River which connects with the West Gate Freeway Click here to see a map of City Link.. As this tollway passes through densely populated urban areas effective noise management was required. Traffic noise is a landscape problem, and can greatly affect the character and quality of an area. Noise reduction near freeways is essential to allow people who live and work in the area comfortable conditions. Performing complicated tasks while exposed to high levels of traffic noise can result in fatigue, annoyance and mistake making. Studies have suggested that long-term exposure to traffic noise can increase the risk of heart disease. Two researchers, Ising and Michalak, have found that noise-induced communication disturbance, can cause stress, resulting in changes in blood pressure. This can lead to gastrointestinal disease, hypertension and other heart and circulatory diseases (Kotzen and English, 1999). The easiest way of achieving traffic noise reduction is through the construction of barriers. In Australia earth mounds and timber fences have historically been the main means of mitigating noise and visual intrusion on major roads. On recent projects, however, developers have tended to use mainly concrete to construct noise barriers. This is the case with the City Link project. As well as reducing sound, noise barriers can have a number of other effects. They can affect views, light, microclimate, access and wildlife, as well as creating a physical divide within a community. Noise barriers can be very tall and so should integrate well into local surroundings. A barrier could satisfy required noise reduction levels, but not take into account its surroundings and so degrade and diminish landscape character and quality. Social surveys have shown that if local residents find a noise barrier ugly and obtrusive, their perception of its acoustic benefits will be reduced (Kotzen and English, 1999). Some people may look at the negative effects of noise barriers due to their scale, appearance and other undesirable qualities, however noise itself can also have a undesirable effect on people's environments. Therefore an effective noise barrier must not only reduce traffic noise levels, but must also blend in with, or enhance the character of the area in which it is being constructed. The aim of this project is to evaluate the non-acoustic effects of noise barriers constructed as part of the City Link project. I will study the impacts and suggest how these could be mitigated, through literature, and comparison with other sites. The study focuses on the Western Link, but also has relevance to the whole of City Link, as well as other urban freeways.

This elevated section of the tollway passes through the densely populated Flemington housing commission estate Concrete noise barriers have been used on the City Link project This section of barrier has been sufficiently integrated into its surroundings