A Jersey barrier , Jersey wall , or Jersey bump is a modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic . It is designed to minimize vehicle damage in cases of incidental contact while still preventing vehicle crossovers resulting in a likely head-on collision . Jersey barriers are also used to reroute traffic and protect pedestrians and workers during highway construction. They are named after the U.S. state of New Jersey which first started using the barriers as separators between lanes of a highway in the 1950s.
32-565: Bluegrass Underground is a musical television show taped live at The Caverns in the base of Monteagle Mountain . From 2008 to 2018, it was held in Cumberland Caverns . In 2011, it became a nationally syndicated television show airing on PBS . The program also aired weekly on the AM radio station WSM . On September 10, 2022, at the beginning of its eleventh season, Bluegrass Underground was rebranded as The Caverns Sessions to acknowledge
64-510: A chicane to slow vehicular traffic arriving at military installations or other secure areas. During the US occupation of Iraq jersey barriers were set up in cities as form of urban warfare to combat Iraqi resistance . The Ohio Department of Transportation mandates specific design requirements for their precast concrete barrier walls. The department has marked all compliant precast concrete barrier walls with "350", indicating that they adhere to
96-560: A 12-to-13-mile-long (19 to 21 km) segment in Grundy and Marion counties that includes both the eastern and western escarpment of the Cumberland Plateau . I-24 also travels concurrently with U.S. Route 64 (US 64) through this section. I-24 crosses the plateau in its narrowest section, which appears as an hourglass shape on maps. Monteagle Mountain is best known for its eastern descent, but its western descent
128-685: A generic, portable barrier during construction projects and temporary rerouting of traffic into stopgap carpool and rush-hour reversing highway lanes. Most of the original barriers constructed in New Jersey in the 1950s and early 1960s were not "modular"; they were formed from concrete poured in place. Many of the first installations (Route 46 in Bergen County and Passaic County, for instance) were about two feet (61 cm) tall, much shorter than modern heights. Some dividers on county or local roads may have been lower than that, since they replaced
160-527: A raised concrete rumble strip that would dissuade, but not prevent, traffic crossing from one lane to another. Route 46 had a rumble strip in many places before the higher barrier was gradually installed. These lower dividers are visible in old photographs. When the Bergen Mall was first opened in Paramus, New Jersey , rumble strip dividers were extensively used on the roadway (Forest Avenue) that separated
192-407: A truck lane on the western ascent. On the eastern descent of the plateau, the eastbound lanes contain a 6% grade over a length of about 4.1 miles (6.6 km) where the elevation drops 1,161 feet (354 m), and is particularly hazardous to truckers. At the top of this downgrade is a truck inspection station , and this downgrade also contains two runaway truck ramps , which are on the left due to
224-450: Is also one of the most hazardous stretches of Interstate Highway as well. Compared to grades elsewhere, Monteagle's 4–6% grade over a period of several miles does not come close to the steepest. The route contains six lanes over the eastern escarpment, with the extra lane on the westbound side serving as a truck climbing lane , and four lanes over the western escarpment. The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has yet to construct
256-500: The Cumberland Plateau . Being part of the plateau, it is not technically a mountain, but appears that way to motorists crossing over it. It is frequently referenced as one of the most treacherous stretches of highway in the United States , especially in inclement weather. It rises to an elevation of around 2,000 feet (600 m), with gradients of 6%. The section of I-24 known, tautologically , as Monteagle Mountain consists of
288-617: The In-Ko-Pah grade in California and I-84 through the Cabbage Hill grade east of Pendleton, Oregon . . There is more than one mile (1.6 km) between the eastbound and westbound lanes at one point. The eastbound lanes descend the mountain on one side of a ridge, while the westbound lanes ascend the other, and are located on what was originally US 64. The westbound ascent is approximately 1.2 miles (1.9 km) longer than
320-568: The City of Toronto is doing likewise on portions of the Gardiner Expressway and Don Valley Parkway . Hollow polyethylene barriers have been developed for short-term applications where portability is important. These plastic barriers are normally filled with water after placement on-site to provide a moderate level of crash protection, then emptied prior to removal. They are not designed to deflect vehicles, so vehicles may penetrate
352-656: The adjustment of brakes opened in January 1992. After the safety improvements were completed, accidents in the eastbound lanes of this stretch dropped from 54 in 1983 to 3 in 1991. 35°14′N 85°52′W / 35.233°N 85.867°W / 35.233; -85.867 Jersey barrier The barriers are also known as a K-rail , a term stipulated in the California Department of Transportation specification for temporary concrete traffic barriers which first started using concrete median barriers in
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#1732779632574384-599: The broader range of music featured in the program. Bluegrass Underground season two was awarded four Emmys (Mid-South) for Best Entertainment Program, Best Director/Program, Excellence in Audio, and Excellence in Lighting Design. That season's series was also Emmy-nominated for Best Photography/Program and Technical Achievement. Bluegrass Underground Season One won the Emmy (Mid-South) for Lighting Design and in addition
416-558: The eastbound decent, making the westbound side slightly out of line with mileage signing. The western downgrade of Monteagle Mountain on I-24 drops 778 feet (237 m) over four miles (6.4 km), with a 5% grade. While not considered as hazardous as the eastbound descent, the westbound descent contains many curves, including one "c-shaped" curve, protracted over a distance of almost one mile (1.6 km). The eastbound and westbound lanes are also located very close together, and crossover crashes and crashes with Jersey barriers located in
448-416: The eastern downgrade of Monteagle Mountain were extensively straightened and rebuilt, and the grades reduced. The project also added left shoulders and an additional runaway truck ramp. This work was completed in 1989, and the lanes were reopened on July 11 of that year in a ceremony officiated by then-governor Ned McWherter . The project experienced many setbacks including geological problems, which delayed
480-666: The grade, the route enters the relatively flat terrain of the Eastern Highland Rim , passing through Pelham . The mountain was part of the Cherokee homeland until 1817. The mountain was named "Eagle Mountain" by the Cherokee because of the great number of golden eagles that roosted and nested along its ridge line. In fact, in honor of those birds, for many years a golden eagle sat in the park in Monteagle until it
512-488: The grocery stores from the mall proper. The design of the Jersey barrier was specifically intended to minimize damage in incidental accidents and reduce the likelihood of a car crossing into oncoming lanes in the event of a collision . In common shallow-angle hits, sheet-metal damage is minimized by allowing the vehicle tires to ride up on the lower sloped face. Head-on vehicle collisions are minimized by gradually lifting
544-489: The median in some places are common on this stretch. This segment also features off-ramp approach-style lane dividers, in order to slow both motorists and truckers. The speed limit on the downhill westbound lanes, of this stretch is 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) and 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) for trucks, while on the uphill eastbound lanes it is 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), with no separate restrictions for trucks. The approximately two miles (3.2 km) on top of
576-646: The mid-1940s on U.S. Route 99 on the descent from the Tehachapi Mountains in the Central Valley south of Bakersfield, California . This first generation of concrete barriers was developed to (a) minimize the number of out-of-control trucks penetrating the barrier, and (b) eliminate the need for costly and dangerous median barrier maintenance in high-accident locations with narrow medians – concerns that are as valid today as they were 80 years ago. The Jersey barrier, also called New Jersey wall,
608-505: The mid-1940s. Over time, different variants were created. Taller variants, such as the Ontario Tall Wall , proved more effective at stopping vehicles and had the added advantage of blocking most oncoming headlights. More modular variants, including plastic water-filled barriers, have been created. Although it is not clear exactly when or where the first concrete median barriers were used, concrete median barriers were used in
640-459: The mountain was widened to four lanes, and the eastern downgrade with two westbound and one eastbound lane was connected to I-24 while the westbound lanes were constructed. Construction on the westbound lanes was completed in 1973, and the three original lanes of US 41 on the eastern downgrade were converted to the eastbound lanes of I-24. Beginning in April 1985, the eastbound lanes of I-24 on
672-404: The mountain, which contains exits with US 41 and US 41A , is not hazardous, but maintains the 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) speed limit. A rest area is located at the top of the western escarpment of Monteagle Mountain. East of the grade, the route passes through a narrow valley alongside Battle Creek, with slight banked curves as it enters Kimball and South Pittsburg . West of
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#1732779632574704-483: The project, and the inspection station and additional runaway truck ramp were not planned. Originally targeted for completion in December 1987 at a cost of $ 17 million, the final cost was $ 29.5 million. During this time both directions of traffic were routed to the westbound lanes of I-24. After the project was completed, eastbound I-24 was reopened, this time with a new truck climbing lane. A truck station to allow for
736-653: The requirements laid out in the National Cooperative Highway Research Program's Report 350. Without this marking, a barrier wall is not approved for use in Ohio. Modern variations include the constant-slope barrier and the F-shape barrier . The F-shape is generally similar to the Jersey barrier in appearance, but is taller, with somewhat different angles. The UK equivalent is the concrete step barrier . First tested in 1968 by
768-494: The taller barrier for their roads, as compared to the standard 32 inches (81 cm) suggested by the Federal Highway Administration . Designs with two rectangular notches at the bottom (through the short axis) allow for forklift-style lifting by front-end loaders . Barriers meant for short-term placement, especially in military and security barrier uses, might include steel rebar loops embedded in
800-411: The terrain. The speed limit on the eastbound lanes reduces to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h) and 45 miles per hour (72 km/h) for trucks, while on the westbound lanes it reduces to 55 miles per hour (89 km/h), with no separate restrictions for trucks. The eastern downgrade of Monteagle Mountain also contains the third-widest median of any Interstate Highway, with the others being I-8 through
832-463: The then Department of Highways in Ontario, Canada , the Ontario Tall Wall is a variant of the Jersey barrier. Standing at 42 inches (107 cm), it is 10 inches (25 cm) taller than the standard Jersey barrier. Ontario's Ministry of Transportation has been replacing guiderails (steel guardrail and steel box-beam) with these tall wall barriers on 400-series highways since the early 1990s, while
864-669: The top surface for rapid hook-and-cable system lifting. The 2010 G-20 Toronto summit used modified modular Jersey barriers with wired fencing bolted onto the concrete. The fence used the barrier as sturdy base to prevent protesters from toppling the fence around the security zone at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre . The U.S. military nicknamed the devices "Qaddafi Blocks" after truck bomb attacks in Beirut in 1983 resulted in more widespread use in military installations. Sometimes they are deployed to form
896-438: The vehicle and pivoting it away from oncoming vehicles and back into traffic heading in its original direction. The New Jersey Turnpike Authority developed and tested a similar, but heavily reinforced, design. This barrier design has been credited with effectively containing and redirecting larger vehicles, including semi-trailer (tractor-trailer) trucks. The states of New York , Massachusetts and New Jersey have adopted
928-746: Was developed in the 1950s (introduced in current form in 1959), at Stevens Institute of Technology , New Jersey , United States, under the direction of the New Jersey State Highway Department to divide multiple lanes on a highway. A typical Jersey barrier stands 32 inches (81 cm) tall and is made of steel-reinforced poured concrete or plastic. Many are constructed with the embedded steel reinforcement protruding from each end, allowing them to be incorporated into permanent emplacements when linked to one another by sections of fresh concrete poured on-site. Their widespread use in road construction has led to wide application as
960-532: Was nominated for EMMYs in the categories of Best Arts Program, Excellence in Audio, Best Photography/Program, and Technical Achievement. Bluegrass Underground Season One also was awarded by Cine Golden Eagle Award for professional non-fiction in spring 2012. It received a Telly Silver Award that same year. Monteagle Mountain Monteagle Mountain is the local name given to a stretch of Interstate 24 near Monteagle , Tennessee that travels over
992-454: Was stolen as a school prank. It now sits in display at Tennessee Technological University . After the Cherokee were removed , the area was renamed "Moffit's Station" in May 1870 by John Moffat, a native of Glasgow, Scotland , with his wife and children. It would later become "Moffat Station" and still later, the city of Monteagle . US 41 was constructed across the mountain in 1923, which
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1024-470: Was then known as the Dixie Highway and State Route 2 (SR 2). It later became US 64, and was upgraded to a two-lane road with additional truck climbing lanes on both of the downgrades for a total of three lanes. I-24 was constructed across the mountain between 1962 and 1968 by grandfathering in and improving the original segment of US 64. The route on the western downgrade of
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