Positively New Jersey: First Jersey Barrier installed in Bethlehem in the 1950s

On a winding stretch of Route 173 down Jugtown Mountain in Bethlehem Township stands one of the most Positively New Jersey historical markers you'll ever see - a monument to the Jersey barrier.

Jul 6, 2022, 12:12 AM

Updated 827 days ago

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On a winding stretch of Route 173 down Jugtown Mountain in Bethlehem Township stands one of the most Positively New Jersey historical markers you'll ever see - a monument to the Jersey barrier.
Yes, the concrete traffic barrier that is used worldwide and has no doubt prevented thousands of drivers from crashing head-on into one another from California to Carolina, was first laid down at that spot in the late 1950s.
Jersey barriers are everywhere now. As the website of manufacturer OTW Safety puts it, "Other barrier designs have come and gone, but none have been able to unseat the Jersey Barrier. Long shall it reign."
On today's episode of "Brian's Positively New Jersey," we take a look at the quirky history and ask Bethlehem locals if being the birthplace of the Jersey barrier is a point of pride.