Ventura Freeway to Receive Additional Sound Walls

Fulfilling a promise made to statewide residents more than a decade ago, state transportation officials will announce today that $226 million has been approved to build 63 freeway sound walls.

Maria Contreras-Sweet, the secretary of the state’s Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, will announce the funding for 58 miles of sound walls, most of them in Los Angeles County.

The largest projects in Los Angeles County will be 2.1 miles along the northbound Ventura Freeway at points between Reseda Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue, 2.1 miles along the westbound Ventura Freeway between Camarillo Street and Hollywood Way and 2.2 miles along the north- and southbound San Diego Freeway between Yukon and Inglewood avenues.

Caltrans officials said sound walls cost about $1 million per mile to build.

The new project will be paid out of the state highway account, which is funded by a gasoline tax of 18 cents per gallon.

The sound walls will be for communities that existed before freeways were built in their areas, Caltrans officials said.

Today, freeways are designed with sound walls, and developers are responsible for funding them.

“The Davis administration is committed to fulfilling a long overdue promise to the people of California,” said Contreras-Sweet in a prepared statement.

“Freeways have done much to improve the California economy and lifestyle,” added Sweet. “But they also present us with challenges. One of those is traffic noise. That is why this state has built nearly 600 miles of sound walls, including some 400 in L.A. and Ventura counties.”