Residents who lived near the I-94 Dartmouth Bridge noted an increase in traffic noise that resulted after completion of bridge construction in fall 1996. To help reduce the noise on I-94 between Riverside and Franklin Avenues, the Minnesota Department of Transportation (Mn/DOT) decided to investigate the effectiveness of diamond grading.
In July 1998, the bridge pavement and adjacent concrete pavements were diamond ground. Researchers performed noise measurements in the adjacent residential areas before and after the grinding, which was done to entirely eliminate the tining from the bridge deck and pavement. The grinding specifications limited the grinding to approximately 3/16-inch in depth and taper to no inches at the inside and outside shoulders.
Researchers measured traffic and noise levels at six locations in the study area during June and September 1998. Overall, diamond grinding of tined concrete pavement succeeded in decreasing noise levels.
