History of the Jersey Barrier Industry

The importance and necessity to deploy concretesuch products that caught peoples' fancy, as these
median Jersey barriers along traffic routes is no longeritems were lightweight yet strong, durable and easily
a debatable issue, as numerous studies andportable. Several companies successfully created
researches have amply demonstrated theirplastic barriers that were lightweight but used as
functionality. From the very first time that the Californiabarriers when ballasted with water, sand or any other
highway authorities used the concrete Jersey barriers,ballast material. These companies have taken the
along the Grapevine Grade, on the US route 99 in thefunctionality of the barriers to newer levels and today
year 1946 until date, the Jersey barriers have beenthe barriers also function as crowd control barriers,
instrumental in averting head on collisions and reducingforce protection and anti-terrorism safety devices, and
fatalities on roads. The next important phase ofto cordon off gate approaches, construction zones,
deployment of the concrete barriers was in 1955,traffic control, airport security, air shows and race
when the New Jersey State Highway Departmenttracks.
developed and used the barriers to divide highwayYodock Wall Company, Inc. a family based business, is
lanes. From then on, other state highway authoritiesa top name to reckon with in the plastic Jersey
recognized the importance of deploying the barriersbarriers and barricades industry. Manufacturing top
and several states adopted these measures toquality barriers and barricades, this company serves
advantage, on their roads and highways.several industries like traffic control, airport
The concrete barriers underwent several changes inmaintenance, military and Homeland security and
designs and specification in sizes from the earlygeneral construction.
F-shaped barrier, constant slope barrier to the OntarioArmorcast Products established in 1966, has multiple
Tall Wall, California K-rails and the plastic barriers thatmanufacturing capabilities and they manufacture plastic
are becoming increasingly popular. The earliestJersey barriers and other protective enclosures using
concrete barriers were not very tall structures; just 18rotational molding. Their safety and security barriers
inches high, but as time went by, and vehicle designsand barricades bear their logo, Guardian. Other
changed and taller vehicles hit the roads, so did thecompanies that are relatively new entrants in the field
heights of the barriers. Today we have medianof plastic Jersey barriers are Remcon Plastics Inc.,that
concrete Jersey barriers that are 3-5 feet tall. Theentered the safety products market in 1990 and Rhino
basic design remains, as parabolic curved surfaces onSafety Barriers incorporated in the year 1999. Both
either side as this has proved effective in redirectingcompanies have introduced innovative designs and
the errant vehicle back into the traffic stream andhave products that comply with NCHRP 350
minimizing damage in the event of an accident. Sheastandards.
has been a pioneer in the production of precastOTW Safety products sell their barriers under the
concrete products since 1949 and their latest productSmart Jersey Barrier brand name and the company
is the J-J hook concrete barrier, which according to thehas been designing, testing, and manufacturing Jersey
company is extremely simple to assemble that, "Twobarriers since 1993. A market leader since 1988,
men and a truck can install 6000 ft, in one shift."Rochester Rotational Molding manufactures colorful
With the success of rotational molding and the use ofJersey barriers as well as accessories for the barriers
plastics becoming commonplace, hundreds of new andlike solar powered barricade lights and incandescent
cheap products for daily use were introduced in theplastic barricade lights. With several such key players in
markets. Huge plastic items like storage tanks for fuels,the business, we can look forward to new, innovative
chemicals, and water, marine and recreational products,designs and highly functional Jersey barriers.
specialty furniture, and Jersey barriers were some