Residents in Cameron Park petition for Highway 50 sound wall
CAMERON PARK - Residents in El Dorado County are speaking out about concerns over living too close to Highway 50.
Neighbors in Cameron Park are asking for a sound wall not only to block out the noise but also to keep their families safer.
"The only thing that separates us [from the highway] is a chain-linked fence and a ditch," said Anthony Zimmer, Cameron Park resident.
Zimmer has lived on Country Club Drive since 2021. He told us that his backyard is only about 40 feet away from Highway 50.
"The shoulder is right here and it's only a matter of time before someone's car could jump the ditch, and now we're left with a chain-linked fence to hopefully stop that," he said.
Zimmer said that about a month ago, he heard a neighbor was starting a petition to put up a sound wall between the homes on Country Club Drive and the highway.
"When you have a newborn baby, or in this case now she's one, trying to take a nap and constantly being disturbed, [it] is detrimental to her development," Zimmer said.
John O'Connell, Caltrans District 3 spokesperson, said they only build sound walls if it is part of an existing project.
"For example, if we're adding a lane, like the slow lane for example, or an exit lane or something like that on the right side of the road, then we would potentially build a sound wall if it meets certain requirements due to sound and population," O'Connell said.
Zimmer said he and his family hardly use the backyard anymore because of the noise and concern over their safety.
"When we first moved in, there were talks from the previous owner that this is something that some neighbors have been trying to get for a long time," Zimmer said.
O'Connell said that he recommends that concerned residents contact local government officials about getting potential funding.