The first section of an environmentally sustainable acoustic wall is under construction in Werribee, Victoria, with the second stage expected to be completed by the end of 2023.
Once complete, residents of Werribee’s Riverwalk estate can expect a significant reduction in traffic noise from the Princes Freeway.
The 1.6km wall consists of acoustic panels made using approximately 75 per cent recycled plastic which is collected from homes across metropolitan Melbourne and would otherwise be diverted to landfill.
Approximately 61 tonnes of recycled plastic will be used to make the panels for the wall – a figure which is equivalent to the volume of plastic that 15,500 homes would dispose of in an average year.
Development Victoria Group Head of Property Development, Penny Forrest, said that this style of recycled molded plastic acoustic walls has been successfully used along busy international and local freeways.
“This acoustic wall will be a lasting reminder to the community of the importance of recycling, as these panels can again be recycled at the end of their lifecycle,” Ms Forrest said.
“Similar walls have been built on the Mordialloc Bypass, and Peninsula Link in Victoria, and have also been used in Sydney, Adelaide and countries such as the Netherlands.”
The acoustic panels are all manufactured locally at a facility in Melbourne, and the design for the wall panels is inspired by the nearby You Yangs ranges, which rise above the Werribee Plain.
“As well as this wall, we have been able to retain the majority of the trees bordering the freeway, providing an additional barrier between the homes and traffic,” Ms Forrest said.
Riverwalk is a partnership development between Melbourne Water and Development Victoria, the Victorian Government’s property developer and major projects agency.
Partners involved with the project include Excell Gray Bruni (Principal Contractor), Aus Group Alliance (Sub-contractor), Pact Group (Acoustic Panel Manufacturer), Marshall Day Acoustics (Acoustic Engineer), Wallbridge Gilbert Aztec (Structural Design), Wood mMarsh (Architectural Design), Dalton Consulting Engineers (Civil Engineers) and Tract Consultants (Landscape).
When complete, Riverwalk will feature approximately 2,600 homes, two schools, a Town Centre, 20 hectares of open space and three signalised intersections to improve local traffic flows.
