Most construction sites and construction zones require barricades for traffic management. When in place, these barricades help to protect workers, drivers, and the general public, which is why they’re so important. However, construction managers often face the big question: plastic or metal barricades?

This article will closely examine plastic and metal barricades to decide which type of material is best for your construction firm. Moving into the future, you’ll then know which traffic management barricades to use.

The Advantages of Plastic Barricades for Traffic Management

Firstly, there’s the plastic traffic control barricade. This modern alternative to the metal barricade has become a genuine crowd favorite with thousands of construction companies. Why? Here are some of the main advantages of managing traffic with plastic barricades:

Durability

Plastic traffic management barricades are highly durable. They can take big hits and collisions while experiencing no or very little damage. As a result, the people behind the barricades (your construction workers) are much safer. Any car that did crash into the barricades would come to a complete stop in most cases.

Weather Resistance

No matter which country you do your construction work in, there’s a good chance you’ll encounter a variety of weather conditions. Sometimes, the weather might get a little out of control (e.g., a snowstorm will strike), but you won’t have to worry about your plastic barricades being affected by this due to their weather-resistant nature. This isn’t the case with metal barricades, which are known to erode very quickly.

Easy Setups

Next, plastic traffic management barricades are extremely easy to set up. Even if you’re working on a busy highway construction zone that covers over 500 ft, you’ll be able to get the plastic barricades set up in no time. This is because they’re easy to move around and incredibly lightweight, so your workers won’t be put under any manual strain.

The Advantages of Metal Barricades for Traffic Management

Now, let’s run through the advantages of metal barricades, which are the old-school traffic management methods that some construction firms still use today.

Strong Material

It’s no secret that metal is one of the strongest materials. Naturally, this means it’s great for traffic management and protecting workers. Whenever drivers see that there are metal barricades in place, it’ll automatically prompt them to drive more safely and obey speed limits.

More Stability

Because of their superior weight, metal barricades are more stable when placed on roads. Essentially, unless they’re intentionally moved, nothing is going to knock them out of place. This is especially important during harsh weather conditions.

However, the downside to all of this is that metal barricades are much harder to handle and move. When workers need to switch the metal barricades from one location to another, they might struggle, even if they have previous experience handling heavy metals.

Conclusion: Choose Plastic Barricades for Your Traffic Management

In summary, it’s highly recommended that you choose plastic barricades to conduct your traffic management and improve worker safety. Plastic barricades are more durable, weather resistant, and easy to set up. They also come in a wider variety of colors and can be used for advertising space purposes, too. Ultimately, this is why the vast majority of construction firms now choose plastic barricades over metal barricades.