Fencing
Crash & Bridge Fencing
Protective fencing installed alongside guiderail and bridge structures across New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware & Maryland.
Overview
Crash and bridge fencing sits at the intersection of ML Ruberton's highway safety work and its fencing catalog — protective fencing mounted on top of or alongside bridge rail and roadside guiderail to prevent objects, debris, or people from going over or through the barrier, and in some configurations, to prevent objects from being dropped or thrown onto a roadway or rail line passing beneath a structure.
This category also covers fencing installed to keep pedestrians away from active roadside barrier and high-speed roadway edges in locations where foot traffic occurs near the corridor — near transit stops, pedestrian bridges, or areas where a sidewalk runs close to a barrier-protected roadway edge.
The mesh opening and overall height specified for bridge fencing are driven directly by what the structure passes over — fencing above an active rail line, for instance, is typically held to a tighter mesh and greater height standard than fencing above a lower-speed local roadway, since the consequences of an object reaching the corridor below differ significantly by crossing type. Our crews install to whichever agency's standard governs the specific crossing, since a highway overpass, a rail overpass, and a pedestrian bridge can each carry a different specification.
How & Why It’s Used
Bridge fencing is typically mounted directly on top of bridge rail on structures that cross over a roadway, rail line, or other infrastructure below, specifically to prevent objects from being dropped or thrown from the structure — a common requirement on overpasses above active highways or rail corridors. Height and mesh specification are driven by what the structure crosses over and the applicable agency's standard for that crossing type.
Roadside crash fencing is installed alongside guiderail in locations where pedestrian access needs to be restricted near a protected barrier — for example, where a sidewalk or path runs near a high-speed roadway edge. Our crews install both types working from the project's structural and safety plans, and we handle repair when this fencing is damaged by weather, vandalism, or a roadside incident.
Retrofitting crash or bridge fencing onto a structure that didn't originally have it is a common scope on its own, separate from any broader bridge rail retrofit — an agency identifying a specific overpass as needing added protection above an active corridor below can commission a standalone fencing addition without touching the underlying bridge rail or deck. Anchoring the new fencing into the existing rail is the main technical consideration in that kind of project.
Typical Applications
- —Overpass fencing preventing objects from being dropped onto roadways or rail lines below
- —Pedestrian-restriction fencing alongside high-speed roadway edges
- —Fencing mounted atop bridge rail on overpass and grade-separation structures
- —Protective fencing near transit stops and pedestrian crossings adjacent to barriers
- —New installation coordinated with bridge rail and guiderail projects
- —Repair of crash and bridge fencing damaged by weather, vandalism, or incidents
Frequently Asked Questions
It's primarily to prevent objects from being dropped or thrown from the structure onto the roadway or rail line below — a common requirement on overpasses crossing active highways or rail corridors.
It's typically used where pedestrian access needs to be restricted near a protected barrier — for example, where a sidewalk or path runs close to a high-speed roadway edge already protected by guiderail.
Both — it's often coordinated directly with a bridge rail or guiderail project from the start, and we also install and repair it as a standalone scope on structures where it wasn't part of the original construction.
Yes — fencing above an active rail line typically carries a tighter mesh and greater height requirement than fencing above a lower-speed roadway, since the consequences of an object reaching the corridor below differ by crossing type.
Yes — adding fencing to an existing bridge rail is a common standalone scope, anchored into the existing rail without requiring a broader retrofit of the underlying bridge rail or deck.
It depends on the structure — work performed entirely from the deck or sidewalk above generally doesn't require closing the corridor below, though protective measures or brief closures may still apply depending on the agency's requirements for that crossing.
Get in Touch
Crash & Bridge Fencing
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