So if I get this right you would want to block out the view of the tarmac but keep the view of the park. I would plant some nice hybrid rhododendra - maybe roseum elegans - which will grow quickly and will have a natural look - no shearing required and you can easily prune if they get too large - and they produce a "Masters Moment" in the spring. Rhodies can also be planted easily (inexpensivley by yourself) - even large ones - as they have a rootball which is light and easy to handle compared to almost all other plants of the same size.
As an alternative I would suggest andromeda.

The problem with rhodies is, if I'm not mistaken, that they will not do well with hot afternoon sun. Shade plants that can tolerate some sun does not mean tolterating 8 hours of hot afternoon sun. I have a plot with the same limitations. Azaleas might do slightly better but that's still pushing it. Shrub roses might be better.

But you are right on track with doing a raised bed/low stone wall. Earth blocks noise, not vegetation. There's a house up the road from me that did a raised bed out of fieldstone in a situation exactly like yours, it looks great. Then plant with whatever you like. Another option is a berm, which is all earth, then plant with vegetation. Do you know why the spruces died? Part of the solution might be designing something that avoids whatever problem killed the spruces.

Thanks for you comments. I really appreciate it. It is really hard for me to visualize what the landscaping will look like in 10 years. I usually buy perennials that I like, and then find a place to put them, moving them if needed.

The spruces were mature trees, and last winter we noticed all three losing needles in huge sections. I was hoping it was seasonal, but they continued losing needles until one side was almost bare, and then the front started losing needles from the bottom up. I assumed that it was either the drought we had the previous year, or perhaps just old age. I didn't notice any obvious bugs or disease.

I would love to put in some rhodies, but I don't think they'd like the hot sun all afternoon. I will have to look and see if there are some which kinda like the sun. I'll look into the shrub roses as well, although I'm not sure what they'd look like in the winter. I'll also look into andromedas as well.

I'm thinking, if I have enough room, maybe I need to have 2 rows of shrubs, one sun loving facing the road and evergreen, and then one shade loving facing the house.

Annie

Take a look at Viburnum Prague. Beautiful shrub.

Here is a link that might be useful: Viburnum Prague

What about Fargesia rufa? Pretty, evergreen, and tough. And about the right height.

Good information Annie. I used to work for a conifer arboretum not far from NJ, and we had a lot of trouble with Blue Spruces. They are really a tree from out west and don't do well in hot, humid NE locations, especially now with global warming making them even more hot and humid. I personally like the native pine barrens tree, pitch pine, "Pinus rigida" or scrub pine, "Pinus virginiana." But they are sparse looking, "japanesey" by my tastes and very different from a blue spruce. I absolutely love japanes white pine too, a very lovely tree. I've also seen healthy specimens of Serbian Spruce, Picea omorika or something like that.

There are tons of beautiful viburnum that would probably do well in your situation. Check out the shrub forum.

As for some evergreen suggestions, check out the link below to the place where I used to work for some pics of evergreens. They're listed as "Conifers." The arb. is north of Bethlehem PA.

Here is a link that might be useful: Collections at Graver Arboretum