The Port of Long Beach Harbor Commission has approved a plan
to build a demonstration of a “green wall” – a barrier made up of recycled
mulch from the city’s tree trimming operations – along the Terminal Island
Freeway.
The “green wall” is expected to help block the sound and
visual blight of the freeway at a fraction of the cost of a traditional brick
wall. Vining plants and trees will also be planted adjacent to the wall to help
trap particulate matter and clean the air.
The wall, along with the trees, is expected to help improve
air quality, provide sound mitigation and lessen visual blight.
The project was developed by the City of Long Beach’s Office
of Sustainability and will be built along the west end of Hudson Park, feet away
from the freeway. The port and City of Long Beach say they will perform a
series of tests on the barrier and then consider extending the project to the
north and south to provide a barrier next to local schools.
The mile-and-a-half Terminal Island Freeway is mostly used as
a service road for the goods movement industry. Drayage trucks typically use it
to haul goods to and from the LA-Long Beach port complex.
“There are thousands of diesel truck trips every day on the
Terminal Island Freeway with no barrier between it and nearby schools,
veteran’s facilities, park space and homes,” Long Beach Councilmember James Johnson,
who represents the district that includes the port area, said. ”This is a cost
effective and environmentally friendly way to remedy a situation that should
have been corrected long ago.”
