THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 2, 1995 TAG: 9510020035
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAC DANIEL, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines
Every now and again, local drivers can catch a glimpse of something natural.
There are the great blue herons that often grace the Elizabeth River off Interstate 464. And the always-changing tidal backwaters abutting I-264.
Now two of the area's most refreshing natural views on Interstate 64 are being shortened as the state sacrifices peaceful vistas for peace and quiet.
A metal sound wall is being built over parts of the twin bridges crossing the Eastern Branch of the Elizabeth River on I-64 near the Chesapeake-Virginia Beach line.
Another metal partition near the Northampton Boulevard exit on westbound I-64 will block a view of Lake Taylor and a cypress grove.
It's part of the state highway department's two-year, $11.3 million sound wall and drainage project on I-64, stretching from Little Creek Road in Norfolk to the Chesapeake-Virginia Beach border.
It's been a boon to nearby homeowners but has given long stretches of the highway the feel of a tunnel. On average, the sound walls cost $1 million a mile.
Along Sterling Road in the Woodstock neighborhood of Virginia Beach, the sound of I-64 traffic has diminished dramatically, thanks to the walls near the twin bridges. People there say they can sleep with their windows open for the first time in years.
But for some motorists, blocking water views with metal barriers is akin to filling the Grand Canyon with concrete.
``It's the one thing I look forward to seeing when I drive to work,'' said a Regent University employee. ``Why do they have to block my view?''
Officials with the Virginia Department of Transportation are aware of the tradeoff.
``It's a no-win situation,'' said Cary Adkins, an environmental program planner for the highway department. ``I guess it depends on what side of the wall you're on.
``You've got to remember who you're protecting,'' Adkins added. ``As a motorist, I'd prefer that the walls not be there. But as a property owner up against the road right there, I need them.''
It's easy for a motorist to empathize when they see houses stacked up against a highway. But they find the reason less evident in places where a long stretch of water separates their car from the nearest home.
The answer lies in basic science. Sound is reflected and travels farther over water, state engineers point out. So even a seemingly distant highway sounds as though it is passing right by waterfront properties.
Motorists will still be able to see water while crossing the twin bridges, but they will have to take neck-snapping quick peeks.
The viewing area from the bridges will be shortened from about 3,000 feet to about 600 feet as the walls partially extend over the water. The vista near Northampton Boulevard will be reduced by some 250 feet to provide sound protection for a neighborhood just out of motorists' sight.
Wayne Williams, the head engineer of the road project, said he has received only two complaints about the limited vistas.
``But some people are going to be upset no matter what,'' he said.
To provide adequate protection for nearby property, sound walls must extend beyond the affected areas, Adkins said.
``We are concerned about aesthetics,'' he added. ``But, of course, the more you get involved with aesthetics, the more the cost goes up.''
Woodstock resident John Tripp, a 55-year-old contractor who is benefiting from the sound walls, is indifferent.
Tripp's home sits just below the roadway. Noise, he said, has never been a problem because it seems to pass overhead.
``I enjoy sitting on the back porch in the evening and drinking beer,'' he said, adding that if friends see him from the road they usually stop by. The walls, he said, could end that.
``I wish they were glass,'' he said, ``so I could still see the cars.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
L. TODD SPENCER
Men work on I-64 sound walls at the twin bridges over the Eastern
Branch of the Elizabeth River.
SOUND WALLS
STAFF Map
by CNB