Dixon Residents Upset With Construction Scheduled Overnight For 3 Weekends

DIXON (CBS13) - People who live in Dixon will hear construction noise in the middle of the night, and the city says that when the work must be done.

"That's going to be a lot of noise," resident Ken Grimm said.

From the sound of it, you'd think Grimm is talking about the train whistles he hears from his home, but he's not.

"It's going to disrupt our house completely," he said.

Grimm is talking about construction work on the new pedestrian underpass to be constructed overnight during the next three weekends.

The city of Dixon sent out a notice to two dozen homes, warning them of increased noise and vibration levels. But the letter also gave suggestions; including telling people to turn on the television or music to provide background noise, but that didn't sit well with Grimm.

"It doesn't make sense why they have to do it that time of night, and why they have to disrupt my sleep; and this is my home. It's like an invasion into my home," he said.

Dunlap has five kids and says turning on the TV would only add to the problem.

"We don't have a TV on at 3 a.m. It's quiet in our house," said Regina Dunlap.

The city also suggested people affected could stay at a local hotel and receive discounted rates. But Dixon City Manager Jim Lindley said that's changed, and the city will pick up the tab completely.

"This was the least obtrusive, least bothersome way we could do the project," said Lindley.

Lindley understands people's frustration, but says the construction schedule had to be approved by Union Pacific Railroad.

"One of the things they required is that it didn't interrupt too much with their train schedule, both commuter, the capitol corridor route, and their freight traffic," he said.

The construction begins Friday and will last three weekends.