SPRINGFIELD, Mo. (KY3) - Liz Mehrtens and her husband built onto their back porch and then enclosed it so they could enjoy a relaxing sanctuary from the world. And it would have been a cozy room if it weren't the neighbors. Thousands of them thundering by at 60 miles per hour on James River Freeway.

"I hate listening to it," Liz explained. "It goes all day and all night."

For the most part, they never use the quiet space they dreamed about, Liz said, "Now it's all fixed up, but it's still too noisy to sit out here. When we moved in here, it wasn't here, the James River Freeway. And it just got worse and worse."

Even with thick insulation, the traffic noise penetrates through the walls. So when Liz received a letter from the Missouri Department of Transportation-- it was sweet music to her.

The agency is looking into building a sound wall on the south side of James River Freeway and east of Freemont Avenue. People like Liz who live adjacent to Route 60 can share their thoughts on the proposal at an upcoming public meeting from 5 until 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 2, at Campbell United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, 1747 E. Republic Road.

MoDOT has already conducted a noise study to look at all areas north and south of James River Freeway but concluded the south side--east of Freemont--was the only section that would benefit from a barrier.

After the public meeting, MoDOT will mail the residents in that area a ballot to vote on the wall.

For Liz, it can't go up soon enough. "It would be nice if we could sit out here and enjoy it. Watch a ballgame or listen to the Price is Right," she said.

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Sound wall along James River Freeway sounds like sweet music to ... - KY3