Abstract: A noise barrier for the abatement of transportation-related or industrial noise is disclosed which includes a plurality of adjoining, upright panels supported by support structure. The support structure includes a plurality of spaced-apart upright posts each positioned between two adjacent panels and which provide inwardly-facing grooves for receiving the ends of the panels. Panels are stacked and are supported in the grooves to form a barrier of a desired height. The panels have a reinforced plastic foam slab attached to and sandwiched between a plastic sheet defining a traffic face to be oriented towards the source of noise and a plastic sheet defining a residential face. Pockets filled with a sound absorption material are formed in the panels at the traffic face which is selectively perforate or imperforate to achieve the desired sound transmission loss/sound absorption capabilities.