If outdoor activities would not be at issue, sound control designs can be incorporated into the residential buildings facing the highway. These designs include installing windows and doors that would be more efficient in sound reduction than typical designs and designing building facades without windows or doors facing highways. The FHWA assumes no responsibility in enforcing noise issues. State Departments of Transportation evaluate the potential noise impacts of new or expanded highways on noise-sensitive areas. This only deals, however, with state and interstate highways.
Local roads are the responsibility of each local municipality.
Responsibility of Funding New State highway construction is funded by each State's Department of Transportation. New interstate highway construction is usually funded by a combination of federal and state money. It is this money that is also used for the construction of noise abatement measures, if approved by the agencies involved. Funding for local roads is the responsibility of each local municipality. Noise abatement designs can be funded by the municipality or the developers of communities, depending on the local administrative codes.