A Jersey barrier (also called a New Jersey barrier or concrete safety barrier) is a modular concrete or plastic barrier used for traffic separation, crowd control and construction site safety. Originally developed in New Jersey, USA in the 1950s, they are now used worldwide. In the UK, plastic water-filled versions are widely used as temporary traffic management barriers.
What is a Jersey Barrier? — Complete UK Guide
If you've driven through roadworks on a UK motorway, queued past a perimeter fence around a major construction site, or been directed around a closed area at a public event, you have almost certainly encountered a Jersey barrier — even if you didn't know it by that name. They are arguably the most recognisable traffic management product in the world.
The History of the Jersey Barrier
The Jersey barrier was developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s by the New Jersey State Highway Department (now the New Jersey Department of Transportation). Engineers were seeking a low-cost, self-correcting barrier for use on the state's divided highways that would redirect errant vehicles back onto the carriageway without causing them to roll over — a significant problem with earlier barrier designs. The distinctive tapered profile that emerged from this research — wide at the base, narrowing to a vertical face at the top — was found to cause vehicle tyres to ride up the lower slope, redirecting the vehicle parallel to the barrier without causing rollover. The design was so successful that it was adopted nationwide and then internationally.
In the UK, the concrete New Jersey profile barrier was introduced on motorways from the 1970s onwards, primarily for central reservation use. The term "Jersey barrier" has become generic in the UK construction and traffic management industries, used to refer to any barrier with the characteristic New Jersey cross-section profile, regardless of the material (concrete or plastic) or the country of manufacture.
Jersey Barrier Materials — Concrete vs Plastic (Water-Filled)
Precast Concrete Jersey Barriers
Precast concrete Jersey barriers are manufactured from reinforced concrete, typically in 1.0m, 1.8m or 2.5m lengths. A standard 1.8m concrete Jersey barrier weighs approximately 1,350kg (1.35 tonnes). Their enormous weight provides inherent stability and resistance to vehicle impact — a key advantage for permanent or long-term roadworks installations. They are typically moved with a crane or telehandler using lifting shackles, which limits deployment flexibility. Concrete Jersey barriers are used for permanent motorway central reservations (where they are typically linked together with steel pins through interlock sockets), for major long-term roadworks, and for high-security perimeter protection (e.g., around embassy compounds or military sites).
Plastic Water-Filled Jersey Barriers
Plastic water-filled Jersey barriers are the most widely used version for temporary applications in the UK. Made from high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or similar materials, they are hollow and lightweight when empty, but can be filled with water on-site via a fill hole in the top. A standard 1m plastic water-filled barrier weighs approximately 15kg empty and 300kg when filled — providing significant vehicle containment while remaining deployable without a crane. They are stackable (typically 2-high) for storage and transport, and can be linked together using interlocking fins or pins. They are available in bright orange or white, with reflective strips for night-time visibility.
Water-filled barriers are Chapter 8 compliant for use in UK temporary traffic management schemes and are the preferred barrier type for most roadworks and event applications.
Jersey Barrier Dimensions and Specifications
Standard Jersey barrier dimensions (may vary by manufacturer):
- Height: typically 810mm (32") — the classic New Jersey profile
- Base width: typically 610mm (24")
- Top width: typically 100mm–150mm
- Length: 1m, 1.5m, 1.8m and 2m standard lengths (concrete and plastic vary)
F-shape barriers (a variant with a steeper base profile) are also common in the UK for central reservation use, offering slightly different vehicle redirection characteristics. Both Jersey and F-shape profiles are widely available.
Jersey Barrier Applications in the UK
Roadworks Traffic Management
The primary UK application for plastic water-filled Jersey barriers is temporary traffic management under Chapter 8 of the Traffic Signs Manual. They are used to separate live traffic from roadworks zones, to channelise traffic through lane closures, and to protect workers and equipment from errant vehicles. Their ease of deployment, stackability for transport, and fillability on-site make them ideal for this use.
Event Safety and Crowd Management
Water-filled Jersey barriers are increasingly used for hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) at events — particularly as a lower-cost alternative to certified PAS 68 bollards for temporary events. While not independently certified to PAS 68 or IWA 14-1 standards (which require permanent installation and specific foundation conditions), filled water barriers provide meaningful resistance to vehicle intrusion when properly positioned and interlinked, and are widely used following guidance from Police Counter Terrorism Security Advisors (CTSAs) for event HVM. They can be deployed rapidly, requiring no groundworks, and removed immediately after the event.
Construction Site Perimeters
Water-filled barriers create visible, robust perimeter barriers around construction sites, separating the public from site activities. They are often used in combination with Heras (mesh panel) fencing — the barriers provide vehicle containment at the base while Heras fencing provides height and prevents pedestrian intrusion.
Permanent Central Reservation
Precast concrete Jersey barriers form the central reservations of some UK motorways and dual carriageways, particularly where the carriageway separation width is insufficient for traditional wire rope or Armco systems. The M1 and M4 motorways have significant lengths of concrete New Jersey central reservation barrier.
Jersey Barrier Hire vs Purchase
For temporary applications, water-filled Jersey barriers are available for hire from traffic management equipment companies as well as for purchase. Hire is typically cost-effective for short-term projects (weeks to a few months); purchase becomes more economical for frequent users or long-term deployments. Barriers Co supplies water-filled plastic Jersey barriers for purchase — suitable for permanent stock for regular event organisers, council highways teams, and civil engineering contractors.
Buy Jersey Barriers from Barriers Co
Barriers Co supplies plastic water-filled Jersey barriers (1m and 2m lengths), in white or orange, with optional reflective markings. UK-wide delivery. Also available: precast concrete New Jersey barriers for permanent and semi-permanent applications. Contact us for a free quote and bulk pricing.