I-4 sound barrier from Lake Ivanhoe to Fairbanks replacing fence

COLLEGE PARK, Fla. — Chain-link fence separating residents from Interstate 4 in College Park will soon be replaced by 15-foot walls.

It's news residents of College Park have been waiting for. Barrier walls will be going up along I-4, separating homes from traffic that now barrels by just feet from back yards.

The Florida Department of Transportation held a meeting to outline the plan Tuesday night.

Matt Sokoloff runs a community website and attended last night's meeting.

He informed residents of downtown Orlando neighborhoods to expect walls, like the ones that run along the turnpike, to go up in phases on I-4 over the next six years.

"Those that were there were extremely positive about having a sound barrier wall that's going to block the sound, and really the sight, of I-4 from the College Park community," Sokoloff said.

The walls will run from the Lake Ivanhoe exit to Fairbanks Avenue.

Sokoloff said residents are excited because they won't have to see or hear I-4 and feel it will increase their property values.

Not everyone insists the walls will be better but they're not opposed to it, either.

"There's some good aspects of it -- it'll cut down on the noise, but I don't particularly care for it because it's going to kind of cut off the openness and the space, and the cars are sometimes, you know, relaxing just to look at all the cars going by," resident Paul Frickman said.

The walls will be up in time to block even more noise from a widened interstate, officials said.