Concrete wall will create noise barrier for Lower Valley neighborhood

Increased traffic on Interstate 10 has prompted the Texas Department of Transportation to build a noise barrier near one Lower Valley neighborhood.

Construction crews are building a stamped concrete wall 20 feet high and stretching about 500 yards along Gateway East, between Stanley Street and Lomaland Drive.

When TxDOT builds, changes or expands a highway, the Federal Highway Administration requires the agency to conduct a noise pollution study to find out if highway traffic sounds will affect outdoor areas frequently used by people.

In this case, a neighborhood lies directly south of I-10.

After the the study was completed, TxDOT proposed the wall to residents and held a community meeting to hear feedback from neighbors.

“Oh, yeah, I was in favor of it,” said Druscilla Madrid, a longtime resident of the neighborhood. Madrid’s back yard no longer has a view of I-10, but she said she doesn’t mind.

“After 53 years, I thought it is was kind of strange that now they (TxDOT) want to put up the wall,” she said.

Madrid’s neighbor, Jose Gonzalez, said the wall was a long time coming. He said he made a request 10 years ago.

“I think it’s great,” he said. “I’ve lived here a long time and every year it gets louder and louder.”

Guidelines from the TxDOT Environmental Affairs Department say the study measures traffic noise in decibels.

The level of traffic sound can be determined by a sound meter or a computer program.

Blanca Del Valle, a spokeswoman for TxDOT, said noise barriers are possible for other areas of El Paso.

“As long as there are new projects and noise traffic is an issue, we’ll be conducting those studies,” said Del Valle.

Although Madrid likes the idea of less traffic noise, she said her husband feels that the wall can be isolating.

“My husband said we’re boxed in, like we’re in prison,” she said with a chuckle.

“It doesn’t bother me. I don’t worry about stuff like that.”

The cost of the noise barrier is $1.5 million. It is expected to be complete in June.

For more information on how traffic noise is measured, click here.