Why Is It Called Jersey Barrier?

Jersey barriers are tapered, concrete barriers commonly seen along highway medians. While they have many functions, their main purpose is to prevent out-of-control vehicles from crossing over into oncoming traffic and causing a head-on collision. Though jersey barriers have been around for decades, their name often raises questions. So why, exactly, is it called a Jersey barrier?

The Jersey Barrier’s Origins

Before the Jersey barrier, highways often utilized weaker wooden guardrails to separate lanes of traffic. While these wooden dividers managed to stop minor crashes, they weren’t strong enough to prevent serious head-on collisions, particularly as speed limits continued to rise and the average vehicle velocity increased. As a response to this issue, concrete barriers were installed in their place.

The first concrete road barrier was introduced in California in 1946 along a dangerous stretch of highway nicknamed “Dead Man’s Curve,” which was notorious for causing deadly head-on collisions due to its deeply sloped, curved nature. The original concrete barriers used to divide Dead Man’s Curve were short—no taller than 18 inches—but they managed to decrease the number of deadly accidents and were a first step in evolving highway safety methods.

The State of New Jersey Expanded Upon the Idea

A few years after the introduction of concrete partitions in California, the state of New Jersey decided that it wanted to develop similar structures for their own highways. Engineers used the basic concept of a concrete divider as a starting point, creating progressively larger, safer and more effective models. They began reinforcing the barriers with embedded steel that protrudes from each end of a segment, allowing the barriers to be linked together with additional concrete that can be poured on site. (In this way, the barriers can be made permanent). Similarly, engineers progressively increased the height of the barriers from 19 inches to 32 inches, and tweaked the side slope to minimize the damage to incoming cars. These barriers developed in New Jersey are the same barriers we now see today, hence the name “Jersey barrier.”

As an interesting side note, the first concrete barriers developed in New Jersey were not tested in a controlled setting. Instead, New Jersey simply installed the barriers on highways and used real-world crash data to make decisions on their continued improvement and redesign.

The Evolution of Jersey Barriers Today

Today, Jersey barriers are more technologically advanced than they seem. Not only do they stop head-on collisions, but they also mitigate the damage to the incoming car. Jersey barriers are designed in such a way that if a vehicle careens into the concrete, its tires will ride up the sloped face of the barrier, forcing the vehicle to turn away from oncoming traffic and back in the direction it’s meant to go. Similarly, this “sliding” effect up the side of the barrier reduces damage to the car (since the wheels take most of the hit) and can prevent cars from rolling over.

Though Jersey barriers were initially developed as highway partitions, they now serve a wide range of functions. They’re commonly used as dividers during construction projects or to temporarily reroute traffic where needed. Even the U.S. military has found a use for Jersey barriers—they are sometimes seen on military bases to slow traffic, and have been used in warzones to ward against bomb threats.

BUY AND SELL WITH EIFFEL TRADING

Looking for used jersey barrier for sale for an upcoming project? Our online marketplace has a wide variety of used concrete barriers available, as well as other heavy civil materials, including used HDPE pipe and steel beams. In addition, we are constantly listing equipment for our customers, ranging from vibratory hammers to concrete equipment.

All of our listings are constantly being updated, but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, create a wanted listing for free.

Ready to sell your used heavy equipment or construction material? List your products today for free on Eiffel Trading’s online marketplace.

If you have any questions or would like additional information, please call us at 1-800-541-7998 or email sales@eiffeltrading.com.