Mile-long sound wall installed along Little Rock’s I-630 to reduce traffic noise

June 13, 2019

I-630 is the major corridor connecting downtown Little Rock, Arkansas to points west. As part of an $87.3 million project to widen a 2.5-mile section from six lanes to eight, a mile-long section was recently equipped with AIL Sound Walls.

Close angle view of structure-mounted sound barrier wall along I-630

First Silent Protector noise wall project for Arkansas DOT

The project was Arkansas DOT’s first use of our Silent Protector product, as they had specifically requested an absorptive solution. Our lightweight and nimble PVC system was well suited to this job, as it had a very narrow site, existing buried utilities and many sections were to be mounted to both new and existing MSE retaining walls.

Structure-mounted solution kept project on budget

We worked very closely with our project partners through the full project cycle. We collaborated with Arkansas DOT and their consultant, Bridgefarmer & Associates, to develop a custom structure-mounting attachment that eliminated the need for drilled shaft foundations. This provided considerable cost savings and kept their project within budget. We stayed in lock-step with the contractor, Manhattan Road & Bridge, to ensure fabrication, delivery and on-site installation went off without a hitch.

Wide view of sound barrier wall along I-630 for Arkansas DOT

Silent Protector — one of the industry’s top-performing sound barriers

When dealing with environmental or ambient noise such as traffic, manufacturing and commercial/industrial noise, the Silent Protector (Absorptive) sound barrier wall system from AIL Sound Walls is your best choice. Engineered for maximum noise reduction, made from recycled and recyclable PVC perforated panels filled with acoustical mineral wool batts, Silent Protector boasts Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings of up to 39 and a Noise Reduction Coefficient (NRC) rating of 0.95.

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