Bridge Guardrails – what are they and what do they do?

Ever wondered where those rails on the sides of bridges came from, or why they were there? We can explain it to you. There are different kinds of bridge guardrails around and where they are depends on the environment where the bridge is.

Why do you see bridge guardrails at all?Bridge guardrails are there to increase safety for drivers. Without guardrails on the road or a bridge, it can mean drivers are unprotected and more susceptible to things like falling off the side of a bridge into water and ruining their cars. It also decreases the chance of driver fatality. When there is a guardrail installed on the side of a bridge, it helps the driver to realise how close they are to the edge, since they are highly visible at night.

What variations can you have on a bridge barrier?Generally, you can choose from low, regular or medium performance levels. The level that is most appropriate will depend on factors such as road alignment, road and site characteristics, vehicle speeds and types and traffic volumes. It’s also important to consider possible consequences for the people in a vehicle, as well as people or property underneath a bridge and how they can be affected by an accident. Risk assessments are carried out on bridges and roads to determine what level is appropriate. Another factor that must be considered is the approach end of the barrier, it needs to be suitably transitioned or terminated to prevent vehicles being speared.

It’s important to remember that guardrails are there to protect people. Bridge guardrails in particular are very important and should always be installed after the right amount of testing and work. If anything is missed out in an assessment, it could mean the difference between a vehicle falling off a bridge or being saved. Consider this the next time you see a bridge guardrail, and consider how much work went into it being there.