Strategic noise map - 2016 - important and additional roads - Lden contours

Strategic noise map for road traffic with more than 3 million vehicle passes per year according to RL 2002/49/EC, together with impact of additional roads. The reference year for these data is 2016. The noise map indicates how much noise the environment is exposed to. The noise load is expressed in the parameter Lden. The Lden level is a weighted annual average sound pressure level over a 24-hour period, with the evening and night levels having relatively greater weight, which corresponds to the finding that noise pollution is generally experienced as more annoying in the evening and at night. European research shows that an Lden is a relatively good predictor of the extent to which local residents may experience nuisance. These noise maps are updated every 5 years. The strategic noise maps with reference years 2006, 2011 and 2016 were calculated using an old calculation method. From the strategic noise maps with reference year 2021, a new calculation method was used. This is a new joint European calculation method that is mandatory for all Member States from the mapping round with reference year 2021. Because this calculation method differs from that used in previous mapping rounds, it is not appropriate to compare the results of reference year 2021 with previous editions (2006, 2011 and 2016). After all, it cannot be ruled out that differences in calculated exposure are purely due to the application of this new calculation method and are not a consequence of increased or decreased exposure.