Traffic noise has long been a bug bear for local communities and its prescence has effects quality of life and it is also linked to a number of health problems. Now a new Korean study has made the connection between traffic noise and land values. The study found that a 1% increase in traffic noise creates a 1.3% decline in land price. Based on this finding, the annual cost per kilometer due to traffic noise was estimated to be in the region of about $347,000. The RAC Foundation has long been in favour of mitigating the negative impacts of roads by using low noise surfaces, tunnels, screening and other methods. These findings provide new economic reasons for designing and maintaining low noise surfacing on new and existing roads.