A Kentucky first: State tests new transparent sound barriers in Covington

What kind of view is worth $4.2 million to protect? One of the Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati skyline – the Great American Tower with its steel tiara and cylindrical Radisson Hotel Cincinnati Riverfront with its protruding, almost honeycomb-like balconies.

That's in part what makes Crescent Avenue, in Covington's Lewisburg Historic District, a prime spot for a pilot project of transparent noise barriers, the first of their kind in Kentucky.

The panels are a high-grade plexiglass that are UV-, scratch-, shatter-, and bullet-resistant, according to Kevin Rust, construction project engineer for the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet .

"It deflects the sound back towards the interstate and keeps it from propagating up the hill to the residents," he said.

That's especially a concern as preparations are being made for the Brent Spence Bridge Corridor Project groundbreaking next year. The $3.6 billion, once-in-a-generation project will run along Interstate 71/75 and construction will likely last for nearly a decade.

Stacee Hans, Kentucky project manager of the corridor project, said it's possible transparent panels could also be used in the project if all goes well in Covington.

"We hope to utilize the outcome of this project for the Brent Spence bridge corridor. It is an area where we would implement a noise wall," she said.

Here's what you should know about the transparent noise barriers in Covington and whether they'll be used in a neighborhood near you, soon.

Exactly how big are these walls?

The transparent barriers will stretch 1,100 feet along Crescent Avenue from about Fifth to Ninth streets.

Rust said the height varies slightly because the wall is on a hill, but its tallest point is 38 feet. The panels and the wall's concrete base are structurally supported by four-foot-diameter drilled shafts that run 18-28 feet into solid rock and are reinforced with concrete cages.

Won't the panels get muddy and gross?

The Acrylite panels are marketed as a self-cleaning material, meaning rainwater is supposed to be able to wash away dirt and other debris.

"They do have a cleaner that is made for it that they can spray on and hose off that's environmentally friendly, that is supposed to remove the grime as well," Rust said.

The panels are also under a 30-year warranty that guarantees no yellowing of the Acrylite panels.

What about wildlife?

Bird deaths linked to glass collisions in the U.S. are around 599 million on average annually, according to the Smithsonian. And bird deaths have also been reported near transparent sound barriers.

Rust said it's likely some birds will inevitably collide with the barrier. But the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife was consulted on the project and said there are no major concerns that the barrier will impact bird population.

According to some websites, there are also bird deterrent sheets, with stripes or dots, that can be added to transparent noise walls.

When will the wall be done?

Site preparation began in November and construction on the walls started in March.

Rust said the project is slated for completion by Oct. 15. But as long as the construction team doesn't run into any surprises and the weather stays dry, he said the project could be done by the end of September.

What if people hate it?

Transparent sound barriers are already used throughout the United States, including in Ohio.

But, hypothetically, what if the barrier doesn't work well in Covington, Kentucky? What if residents and motorists just hate the outcome?

Hans said the panels could be removed.

"There is an opportunity to maybe even utilize the base structure that's there and build up with our traditional noise wall, take out the transparent panels. That's part of the evaluation," she said.

What do neighbors say?

Homeowner Tom Rowe, 53, said he's already noticed major noise decrease since the first few panels have gone up.

He's owned a home near the northernmost part of the project for the past three years, an investment property he hopes his children and possibly others can use.

Rowe said he attended a public meeting about the noise barrier and was reassured it would be a good option for the area. So far, he said he's been happy with it.

"You can hear the echo from up the hill, where they haven't finished yet, but straight ahead and down here ... It's made a difference already," he said.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: A Kentucky first: State tests new transparent sound barriers in Covington