The people living beneath huge motorway fly-overs dealing with noise and things falling off them

Residents have laid bare the daily battles they face living in the shadow of motorway flyovers. They say they face a life blighted by constant noise, debris, and even blocked sunlight. Locals living under the M32 in Bristol city centre and near the M5 at Avonmouth Docks have shared harrowing accounts of their experience, with traffic noise inundating their homes, unexpected objects falling from above, and the overpowering presence of the structures dominating their views, reports Bristol Live[1].

Jackie Payne, 66, who made her home beneath the M5 in Avonmouth five years prior, has bemoaned her choice ever since. She expressed her exasperation: “We want to move somewhere quieter. We can’t open the windows because you can’t hear the TV.” She also spoke of the unbearable indoor heat she blamed on the bridge: “I have got about six fans in the front room because it gets so hot.

When the lorries hit a particular drain it makes such a noise.” For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter[2]

The garden, once a sanctuary, is now just another source of stress: “We can’t sit in the garden because you can hear it and hear the lorries all day – it gets on my nerves. I come from a village.” She reminisced about the serene sounds of her rural past: “I would go out into my garden and all you could hear was the cows mooing.”

Jackie Payne, 66, who lives under the M5 motorway (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

However, she also highlighted specific issues caused by the bridge: “It blocks the sun to the front room and we get litter in the garden.” Her safety concerns were palpable as she admitted: “I am always worried that a lorry will crash through the barrier.”

Philip Jacobs, 84, has a long history with his home in Avonmouth, having moved there when he was a youngster of just eight, well before the blueprint for the M5 bridge was conceived. He shared: “I was here when it was built. They built it in sections.” He mirrored Jackie’s sentiments, recollecting the distress during the bridge’s construction: “I was doing shift work as a lorry driver at the time, often working at night, and the noise was unbelievable – I couldn’t get any sleep.”

Philip, who remains living in his home alongside his wife Carol, aged 69, has come to terms with the constant hum of traffic but admitted the bridge was an annoyance. He shared: “There is a lot of noise, but I have got used to it. The bridge blocks the sun and it’s an eyesore.

It is convenient for people driving, that is how the world works.”

Philip Jacobs, 84, who lives under the M5 motorway (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

Philip’s neighbour, Joan Seoker, at 86 years of age, also seemed to have adjusted to the racket after spending over four decades living beneath the bridge’s shadow. She commented, “We have got double glazing. We don’t take any notice of it anymore.

We got used to it.” Kelly, aged 40, who chose not to disclose her last name, reported issues with debris being tossed onto her property from the bridge above. She explained, “People throw things from the bridge, which is a problem for the kids.

Our conservatory was smashed twice by laughing gas canisters three years ago.” Not far off, in Eastville, the M32 dominates the skyline as it carves through the northeast precincts of Bristol. Tom Benoy, 27, who took up residence five years prior, cites the vehicular din as the principal downside to residing in the locality.

He stated: “The only thing I don’t like is not being able to peacefully sit outside. We have the river, it’s a nice area.”

Tom Benoy, 27, who lives near the M32 motorway. (Image: Tom Wren / SWNS)

“The only reason I would ever move is to get away from the noise.” Despite the disturbance, Tom, a technical consultant by profession, acknowledged that at times the ceaseless thrum of traffic could seem almost soothing. He said: “The drone can be quite nice.”

Tahir, 64, said he had grown familiar with the persistent hum of the bypass. Discussing his long-term residence, he mentioned: “Living here for twenty years, I don’t have a problem with it.” He observed that noise was prominent, especially when windows were open, saying: “My bedroom faces it. When you open the window you can hear it, of course you hear it.”

Tahir noted the inevitable presence of traffic sound in his well-maintained outdoor space, adding dryly: “You can’t double glaze a garden.”

References

1. ^ Bristol Live (www.bristolpost.co.uk)
2. ^ For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter (www.walesonline.co.uk)
3. ^ Cardiff Airport issues update as new weekly flights to start (www.walesonline.co.uk)
4. ^ More than 70 homes to be built on outskirts of Cardiff (www.walesonline.co.uk)