For communities without a sound wall but within earshot of the Intercounty Connector, the likelihood of getting some kind of barrier to block noise from the 18-mile road is slim to none, according to state officials associated with the highway project. A group of residents in Colesville isn't letting the grim forecast stop it from fighting for a sound wall, though, WTOP reports. 

"We're trying everything we can to try and generate some interest in the state to get sound barriers built on Bonifant Road," Rich Burnes, part of the Colesville ICC Noise Concern Group, told the radio station.

"There are houses within 400 feet of the ICC and they are hearing the traffic at all hours of the night," Burnes said. 

Burnes' neighborhood, with a noise level of 57 decibels per hour, didn't test high enough to qualify for a sound wall before the road was built, WTOP reports. The cut off is 66 decibels. 

"We have also explained the federal and state noise mitigation guidelines, and indicated that the state does not plan to do any additional noise level testing or build any additional sound walls," said Ray Feldman, spokesperson for the ICC Project. 

At a special meeting of the Fairland Estates Civic Association in July, an ICC spokesperson gave a group of annoyed residents a similar message.

“There’s no going back,” said Rob Shreeve, deputy director of the ICC office. “The bridge is not designed to carry a noise wall.”

“The ICC has been new to a lot of communities from I-270 over to US-1,” Shreeve told the group.

“We have had to tell a lot of communities the same things we’re telling you, which is the decisions were made, the construction was done and we don’t have any other alternate." 

WTOP said Montgomery County Executive Isiah Leggett was skeptical that the noise is being measured properly by ICC officials and said it's "a difficult fight for us, but one worth fighting."