Press Releases

Private money may quiet state roads
LeRoy Standish - Lakewood News
11/27/03

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Residents battling the rising tide of ear-aching sound may find salvation in a possible change to state transportation department policy.

The Colorado Department of Transportation is considering allowing privately funded sound walls on public rights of way. Current CDOT policy allows only for CDOT to build sound walls on public right-of-ways. However, budget shortfalls last year forced CDOT to eliminate all funding for the construction of sound walls on completed roadways.

The possible policy change to retrofit sound walls using private money on public property was discussed during a Nov. 20 meeting of CDOT’s Transportation Commission. In attendance and advocating for the new policy were West Sixth Avenue residents, Golden mayor Chuck Baroch and several state representatives.

After hearing arguments for the new policy, the commission put off a final decision for at least one month.

If approved, the new policy would allow privately funded walls on CDOT property as long as several conditions are met. A local jurisdiction of elected leaders, such as a city or a county, may submit the request to CDOT.

A homeowners association or a special district cannot submit requests. The proposed wall must also comply with state noise analysis and abatement guidelines. Lastly, the wall must have the support of the affected transportation planning region or metropolitan planning region.

Once built, the walls would become CDOT property.

Mayor Baroch praised the draft policy change as a “step in the right direction.” The city of Golden has recently come up with a locally preferred alternative to the U.S. Highway 6 and Colorado 93 extension, and it calls for the extensive use of sound walls to keep traffic noise at reasonable levels.

Baroch said the city has secured enough money to build the walls along a short stretch of the road, but would need the CDOT rights-of-way to erect them.

“It is your property,” Baroch said to the commission members, “that is affecting the quality of life in our city.”

Sound walls are costly. According to CDOT, a 12-foot-tall section of sound wall that is 500 feet long costs $180,000. A 1-mile stretch of a 12-foot-high sound wall costs $2 million.

Several legal issues also must be fully worked out before the commission approves any changes to sound wall policy. Among the issues are a state prohibition against state donations to private entities.