One down, one to go? Feds settle for single noise wall in Apple Valley

By KATIE HUMPHREY, Star Tribune

Last update: November 3, 2009 - 9:09 PM

The battle over noise walls along Cedar Avenue is quieting down.

After months of debate with Dakota County, the Federal Highway Administration has backed off a requirement for two noise walls along Cedar in Apple Valley, deciding that only one must be built as the county revamps the road for bus rapid transit.

"It's a very good move on behalf of the [Federal Highway Administration] in terms of noise walls in suburban communities where there's really no need for noise walls," Dakota board member Will Branning said.

Both Dakota County and the city of Apple Valley protested the federal call for noise walls, saying they are ugly and would create a tunnel effect along a busway meant to be inviting to pedestrians. Yet defying Federal Highway Administration orders could have jeopardized $22.5 million of funding for the project, set to begin in 2010.

The county still has to build one wall 10 feet high and 370 feet long west of Cedar and south of 153rd Street, though Branning said he hopes that one will go away, too.

The rejected wall, north of 160th Street, would have been 720 feet long and came with more engineering challenges and a bigger price tag, estimated at $196,000 to $460,225.

In justifying the need for that wall -- 10 feet high and built on top of an earthen berm -- the federal agency had noted the support of neighbors.

The county pointed out, however, that one neighbor had changed their vote, putting more residents in the antiwall camp.

In a letter to U.S. Rep. John Kline, who had asked the federal agency to reconsider the noise walls, Federal Highway Administration administrator Victor Mendez wrote that the longer wall would be dropped "in view of the change in voting that you cited and engineering and other difficulties identified for its construction."

Katie Humphrey • 952-882-9056

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