“It’s the sound, stupid.”

That was one comment that greeted Department of Transportation and Development Secretary William Anker Thursday night at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.

What was supposed to be an update by the DOTD on a project to widen Interstate 12 from four to six lanes between Airport Road and the intersection of Interstates 10, 12 and 59 turned into an emotional appeal by residents of Country Club Estates to do something about the noise coming from the interstate. The subdivision off Robert Boulevard was built before I-12 was constructed and now borders the highway. The increase in traffic, which is why the DOTD is widening the road, has also meant an increase in traffic noise that keeps most residents indoors.

“I have a golf course as a buffer, and it is still too loud,” said Barbara Perry, who lives on Country Club Boulevard.

Even Slidell Councilman Bill Borchert, who attended the meeting and has lived in Country Club Estate for 28 years, said the highway noise has become a big problem.

“It’s gotten bad. I can’t even sit outside,” Borchert said.

What the residents want are sound abatement walls built along the interstate so that their neighborhood can enjoy some peace and quiet. They understand the need to widen I-12 due to increased traffic, but by adding the extra lanes means that there will be more noise to contend with.

It is an issue that has been going on for 10 years, and some local politicians that attended the meeting were just as emotional as their constituents.

“It’s about a sound wall, a sound wall and a sound wall,” said Parish Councilman Chris Canulette, who represents the Country Club Estate residents.

Resident Gayle Dillon told Anker she had started a petition back in 1999 to get a sound abatement system installed. She said then state Rep. David Vitter had promised to get the funds for the wall.

“But there’s been nothing since then but noise and pollution,” Dillon said. “We want something done, and we want it done now.”

Though Anker was sympathetic to the residents, he said the state does not have enough money to both widen the interstate and build sound barriers. He told the residents the Legislature has appropriated $32 million to widen the roadway and to improve the on and off ramps at the Airport Road and U.S. Highway 11 interchanges so that more traffic can enter and leave the interstate. He said there is no money left to build the sound barriers, an answer that did not sit well with the audience.

He also attributed the lack of money due to the decrease in the consumption of gas. The DOTD depends on the 16 cents a gallon tax on gasoline to fund road projects. With people using less gas, there is less revenue for the department, Anker said.

“The problem is we keep putting in money to the state, but not getting anything back,” Canulette told Anker. “St. Tammany Parish is the fourth largest in revenue to the state for roads, but we get the least work.”

Anker said noise tests had been done in the area, and according to “state standards,” the tests showed the decibel limits to be in the safe zone. This brought a lot of yelling and objection from the audience.

“We get vibrations so hard my house shakes,” one lady shouted out to Anker.

Perry disputed Anker’s claims. She said DOTD put sound measuring devices in her yard, and they found the decibel level too high.

“There are children there that are hard of hearing,” Perry said.

Anker repeated that unless there was more money, a sound barrier could not be built. He cited increased costs of asphalt and steel that has made the DOTD revise its plans to fit into the budget.

“What we are doing will offer some relief but will not solve the problem,” Anker said. He offered a little hope that there may be some federal funding available in President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus bill that is moving through Congress.

The widening project is expected to start in September 2010 and be completed by September 2011.