Introduction

This chapter describes the federal and state policies for using bridge railing on bridges, bridge-class culverts carrying vehicular traffic, and on roadways elevated by retaining walls, including:
  • Crash-testing requirements
  • Approval of bridge railing
  • Rail type selection
  • Allowable uses of bridge railing for specific installations
When a structure includes non-vehicular traffic, either alone or in combination with vehicular traffic, other requirements must be satisfied. See Chapter 3, “Pedestrian, Bicycle, and ADA Requirements for Bridge Railing,” for these requirements.