VALLEY FREEWAY NEIGHBORS MAY GET RELIEF FROM NOISE.

Byline: Lisa Van Proyen Daily News Staff Writer

San Fernando Valley residents living close to freeways and having difficulty sleeping or talking over the roar of traffic may get relief soon.

The state Transportation Commission informally has agreed to fund $125 million worth of sound walls statewide, and $52.5 million has been allocated for San Fernando Valley freeways, said David Fleming, a member of the commission.

About 50 miles of sound walls will be built in the Valley - projects that will directly affect 10,000 properties, said Fleming, who represents Los Angeles County on the panel.

``We're the ones who haven't received the sound walls that the other areas have. The Valley's been sort of the caboose at the end of the line,'' Fleming said. ``It's time that we got in there and did what the state promised to do years ago.''

Some of the longer stretches of Valley freeways on the statewide priority list include:

The Golden State Freeway, north and southbound lanes in Burbank, from the Los Angeles River to south of Sunland Boulevard.

The Golden State Freeway, north and southbound lanes from the vicinity of Tujunga Wash to the Ronald Reagan Freeway.

The Ventura Freeway, westbound from Reseda Boulevard to Winnetka Avenue.

The Ronald Reagan Freeway, east and westbound lanes from east of Tampa Avenue to west of Hayvenhurst Avenue.

The Ronald Reagan Freeway, east and westbound lanes from east of Woodley Avenue to San Fernando Road.

The San Diego Freeway, north and southbound lanes, from south of Devonshire Street to Rinaldi Street.

Portions of the San Diego Freeway between the Ventura Freeway and the Ronald Reagan Freeway.

In total, about $75 million will go toward Los Angeles County freeways, which will gain roughly 75 miles of sound walls, Fleming said. The walls cost about $1 million per mile to build.

During a workshop last week, the commission, on a motion by Fleming, agreed in principle to approve funding for the work. Final approval is expected during the commission's formal meeting in early December.

Fleming expressed confidence that the motion will get that final OK.

``It's phenomenal. . . . This is great news,'' said Assemblyman Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, who helped push for the walls. ``I have a lot of people in the San Fernando Valley who are extremely upset because of the noise - people who cannot sleep.''

Hertzberg said he receives an average of 10 calls per week about the need for sound walls.

Some of those calls come from Cindy Alex of North Hollywood, whose home is nestled up to the Hollywood Freeway between Burbank Boulevard and Oxnard Street.

``We can't even enjoy our back yard. My husband can't hear me back there,'' she said Friday. ``Sometimes, it just gets to you. When I get on the phone, I'll close the windows because it's too distracting.''

She was well aware of the freeway when she moved there 10 years ago, but the noise, she said, has worsened with increasing traffic.

``In the last 10 years, it's gotten worse,'' she said.

Alex said she was overjoyed to learn that she may soon see a sound wall behind her home.

``You could have told me I won the lottery, I was so excited,'' she said.

Alex's neighbor, Annette Kalman, has lived in the neighborhood for 35 years - longer than the freeway has been there. Kalman, who now is trying to sell her house, said her agent recently advised her to lower the asking price by thousands of dollars to compensate for freeway noise.

``I really don't want to (lower the price), but the agents are kind of after me. A lot of (potential buyers) say that they don't like the freeway. They look and see that the freeway's out there, and they turn up their nose,'' Kalman said.

She said she hopes the sound walls will allow her to keep her $175,000 asking price firm for her four-bedroom home.

Funds for the sound walls will be a top priority among the projects to be funded by the state's general highway account, Fleming said.

The California Department of Transportation may begin work early next year on the walls to suppress freeway noise, Fleming said.

``It really does drop the noise factor considerably,'' the commissioner said about building the walls.

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PHOTO Freeway noise spoils backyard fun for Cindy and Jim Alex and their daughter, Alysia. They look forward to state plans for sound walls.

Terri Thuente/Daily News