CLEVELAND (AP) — Ohio plans to build a sound barrier made out of soil and plants in the state’s first eco-friendly attempt at muffling highway noise.
A spokesman for the state transportation department says the 12-foot high wall will be like a Chia Pet: Workers will water bags filled with soil and seeds and watch it grow.
The transportation department says the noise wall will be built this fall. It will span 400 feet along a westbound stretch of Interstate 70 near Columbus.
Wisconsin tried a similar idea. It built a sound wall made out of plastic forms filled with soil and plants, but removed it in 1996 after part of the barrier collapsed and weeds spread.
