The Roanoke community is getting a noise wall.

This is part of the special feature Freeway Box, showcasing my old life next to freeway viaducts.

Located north of downtown Seattle, south of the Ship Canal, the Roanoke community is the first neighborhood in Seattle to retroactively get noise abatement. The walls will be installed in February.

This is truly a great story! An elementary school directly facing the freeway, and a park just up the street will both be mitigated.

The Ship Canal noise abatement mentioned in another posting is just to the north.

Even with the addition of walls, there are a large number of homes with no improvements, as this arial map shows. Not all of the freeway here is below grade, so even an expensive lid wouldn't really solve the problem. Sure enough, the Roanoke community council thought it had received an agreement for 3800 feet of wall, not just 900.

Even if it's not perfect, it's certainly better. Again, that's what the community decided. I hope they're able to get the other 2900 feet in the future.