$2M Highway 395 noise barrier isn’t finished. But it’s already covered with graffiti

Eric Rosane
·2 min read
10

A $2 million wall to reduce traffic noise in Pasco along Highway 395 wasn’t even finish yet when vandals began scrawling graffiti.

Ever since Washington State Department of Transportation contractors first began stacking masonry blocks last May, they’ve used a nearby bike path to enter the construction area.

The project aims to reduce traffic noise at the Flamingo Mobile Home Park on the east side of the highway.

The 14-foot-tall wall stretches nearly 1,900 feet, and commuters get a clear view of it driving north across the Columbia River from Kennewick into Pasco on the blue bridge.

“So far, it’s been just a visual nuisance,” said Alex Sanguino, a WSDOT project engineer.

“There’s been other vandalism that’s been more impactful than that,” he said referring to equipment stolen from the construction site.

Initial construction started last year and all the work should be finished by the end of the month. Sanguino said contractors are just doing detail work at this point.

Graffiti has been painted on both sides of the new concrete block barrier sound wall at the base of the blue bridge in Pasco.
Graffiti has been painted on both sides of the new concrete block barrier sound wall at the base of the blue bridge in Pasco.

They plan to scrub the dozen or so graffiti tags off the walls and apply a pigmented sealer to make future marks easier to remove.

A WSDOT maintenance team will be responsible for the upkeep after the contractors are finished.

WSDOT has constructed miles and miles of noise barriers throughout the Tri-Cities. The free-standing structures can often cut noise pollution by half for neighborhoods. They usually cost about $3.9 million per mile to build.

In special circumstances, the state will instead plant trees and shrubbery to cut back on noise, but concrete spans have shown to be more effective, they say.

A construction worker makes final adjustments to mobile home park side of the wall above several sections marked with spray paint.
A construction worker makes final adjustments to mobile home park side of the wall above several sections marked with spray paint.

Communities that experience a noise level of 66 decibels or higher during rush hour traffic are considered impacted areas. With that much noise, a conversation between two people standing 3 feet apart would be difficult.

The two new noise walls straddle a paved walking path that connects the mobile home park with the 23-mile long Sacajawea Heritage Trail.

Construction workers expect to finish the wall project next month.
Construction workers expect to finish the wall project next month.

Steve Worley, Pasco’s public works director, said the area has not historically been a trouble spot for vandalism.

Access to the site is easier than usual right now because of the ongoing construction, but they hope that’s not the case afterwards.

Sanguino says commuters can report any vandalism they see to their local city or county government. Their staff will be able to best get in contact with WSDOT to remove it.