A Flimsy Chain-Link Fence Separates These Homes From I-25, Residents Say It’s Not Enough
A chain-link fence is all that separates a stretch of Interstate 25 from a residential neighborhood in Pueblo, Colorado, and homeowners are questioning how much protection it actually provides.
The fence was recently repaired after part of it was knocked down, although residents say fixing the damage has done little to address their larger safety concerns.
In the city’s Bessemer neighborhood, some houses sit within two dozen feet or less from the highway, with a narrow alley providing the only additional separation from passing traffic.
Residents are now asking transportation officials to consider a stronger barrier, concerned about what could happen if a car or truck veered off the roadway toward their homes.
Homeowners Question Safety of Repaired Highway Fence
The fence runs alongside the 2400 block of East Evans Avenue, near southbound I-25. According to KOAA, the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) believes the original damage was likely caused by a vehicle on the city side of the interstate.
Crews repaired the damaged section after obtaining the necessary materials. One resident, identified as Cindy, appreciated that the fence had been fixed, although she questioned whether it offered enough protection. She suggested installing a sound barrier to provide more separation between the neighborhood and highway traffic. Cindy hopes for a sound barrier, saying that residents need “a little bit more cushion for safety reasons.”
Neighbor Marty Harvey was considerably less impressed with the repairs crews conducted on the damaged fencing.
“It’s like they threw up paper towels or Kleenex. This is not fixing the problem,” Harvey said, as reported by KOAA. “This is not going to stop a car. This is not going to stop a semi.”
Harvey estimated that the alley between the highway and the houses is approximately 10 feet wide. She urged CDOT officials to visit the neighborhood and see just how close the homes are to passing traffic.
CDOT Has No Plans for a Sound Wall Along This Stretch
When KOAA asked about a more secure barrier or sound wall, CDOT responded that it currently has no plans to install a sound wall along this portion of I-25.
There are a few different structures residents have referred to when discussing what might protect their homes from wayward drivers. Sound walls and barriers designed to withstand vehicle impacts serve different purposes. As CDOT explains on its website, highway noise walls are intended to reduce traffic noise. Their ability to stop a vehicle cannot be guaranteed simply because they provide a solid separation from the road.
CDOT does have plans for a noise wall elsewhere in Pueblo; its $114 million reconstruction of the I-25 and U.S. 50 interchange includes a wall along the west side of the interstate to reduce noise in a nearby neighborhood. That project is separate from the homes along East Evans Avenue.
The repairs have given the neighborhood an intact fence again, though residents are asking for something more substantial than a replacement for what was already there. Their concern is less about the condition of the fencing than what it could actually withstand.
