ANSWER: The purpose of the walls is twofold, said Marilyn Kali, state Department of Transportation spokeswoman. One is to prevent erosion and the other is to be a noise barrier.
The state met with property owners who live along the highway several years ago and this is the design they approved, Kali said. In fact, the wall is higher than what the state Transportation Department recommended because residents requested a higher one.
"The property owners were shown pictures of what the wall would look like," Kali said.
The walls on the makai side are temporary and will come down after the construction is over. The mauka walls will run from Likelike Highway to Haiku Road and will vary in height from 8 to 14 feet, Kali said. The wall will be located only in areas where there are homes.
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