Nicholas L. M. Allen
Sept 18, 2024
Larry Whan voices concerns over 24/7 truck noise, economic impacts, and safety issues on Highway 3, following Council’s refusal to support an engine retarder brake sign
Larry Whan, the owner of Trout Wrangler Lodge in Lundbreck, AB, expressed his deep frustration following the M.D. of Pincher Creek’s decision to reject the application for the placement of an Engine Retarder Brake sign at Lundbreck Hill on Highway 3. This motion was aimed at reducing the persistent noise from trucks that use their engine retarder brakes on the steep decline but was defeated by the council.
“Our biggest concern over the noise levels is that the noise is non-stop. The trucks run 24/7/365, and the noise happens every day. This isn’t a temporary construction zone noise issue. This noise happens at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., 3 p.m. and 3 a.m., any time of day or night,” said Whan.
Whan explained that engine retarder brakes on trucks often generate noise levels between 90 and 105 decibels, even though Alberta Transportation guidelines require trucks to produce less than 80 decibels.
“Children in Lundbreck who haven’t even been born yet will live their entire lives hearing this noise, and it will continue even after they’ve passed,” said Whan.
Whan also shared the economic impact of the noise on his business. He recounted a recent visit from guests who stayed at his lodge between August 13 to 16, 2024 and left a private note saying they would not return due to the noise.
The guests had spent money at local establishments, including the Pincher Creek Golf Course and the Oldman River Brewery, but their dissatisfaction with the noise means they, and potentially other tourists, won’t be contributing to the local economy in the future.
Despite these concerns, Whan said the response from the Council was “terrible.” He pointed out that the Council has no formal training in highway safety and only needed to send an application to Alberta Transportation on behalf of the residents for a proper review. He clarified that the signs wouldn’t ban the use of engine retarder brakes but would be a polite request for truckers to refrain from using them in non-essential situations, especially during the night.
Whan voiced disappointment at how the Council dismissed the residents’ concerns, particularly when the Division 5 Councillor John MacGarva had supported the request fully.
“Instead of working with us, they just shut us down and basically said, ‘We know what’s best for you, go to your room,” said Whan.
He also warned that the twinning of Highway 3 would only increase the truck traffic and, with it, the noise pollution. Whan plans to take his request to a higher level of government, as Alberta Transportation has the ultimate authority over such signage decisions.
Whan vowed that he and other residents would continue their efforts to reduce the noise pollution.
“The noise will never go away, but we do have the ability to reduce it, and we will not stop until we have done everything we can to make that happen,” said Whan.
Additionally, he suggested reducing the speed limit on Highway 3 near Lundbreck to improve safety at a busy intersection, where a fatal accident occurred this past summer. Whan hopes that lowering the speed limit would prompt the M.D. to reconsider applying for the noise reduction sign.