As the discussion around Interstate 81 and the viaduct in downtown Syracuse continues, there's another part of the project making a little noise. Changes could raise the volume in some neighborhoods near the highway.

About 100 thousand cars drive on Interstate 81 in the Syracuse region every day. There's more traffic if you look at the whole project -- including 690 and 481. If one of those highways runs behind your house, you can hear it.

"My mom used to live next door,” said Pat Harrington, a Syracuse resident. “When she was alive, it was so noisy you couldn't even talk to her next door. You can't watch television with your windows open because you won't even hear the TV, so that's how restricting it is."

As part of the I-81 project, the DOT hopes to turn down the volume. It's recommending noise barriers on some portions. Project director Mark Frechette says the decision is up to the homeowners if they want a noise wall near their property.

"Some of the noise walls that the department of transportation is building now look a lot better than what we have along Interstate 481 today,” said Frechette. “Most of our walls are clean. They're concrete. They have some tones to them."

The DOT sent letters to about 700 houses asking neighbors to vote on the project. Most homeowners have to support a noise wall for the DOT to build it. People we spoke with it are for it.

"We get a lot, a lot of noise,” said Harrington. “We always have. You know, right up to our house. We live up on Sherwood, so we're happy. We're happy we got the letter."

There will be another meeting to talk about the noise walls on Thursday night in the DeWitt Community Room.

The deadline to vote is September 5th.

As for dealing with noise during construction, the DOT says they haven't gotten to that phase of the project. They expect to meet with neighbors who live right along construction zones in the future.