Cone Bars: An Easy Way to Create Temporary Work Zones

Setting up a temporary work zone or restricted area does not always require large, heavy barricades. For many applications, cone bars provide a simple, portable, and cost-effective way to create a highly visible barrier in just a few minutes. Cone bars have become one of our most popular traffic control accessories because they can be quickly placed between traffic cones or compatible delineator posts. They are lightweight, easy to transport, easy to store, and can be repositioned as conditions change.

What Are Cone Bars?

A cone bar is a lightweight horizontal barrier designed to connect two traffic cones, delineator posts, or other compatible traffic control devices. Each end of the bar typically has a loop that fits over the top of the cone or delineator. Once installed, the cone bar visually connects individual traffic control devices and creates a more defined boundary than cones alone. This makes cone bars useful anywhere you need to communicate a simple message such as:

• Do not enter
• Keep pedestrians out of this area
• Work area ahead
• Temporary lane or walkway closure
• Restricted access
• Temporary pedestrian routing

Why Use Cone Bars?

Traditional barricades are appropriate for many traffic control applications, but they can also be larger, heavier, and more difficult to transport. Cone bars provide another option when the application calls for a lightweight temporary barrier.

Fast Setup

Cone bars can be installed in seconds. Place the cones or delineators in position and drop each end of the cone bar over the top of the adjoining devices.

Easy to Move

Temporary work areas frequently change throughout the day. Because cone bars are lightweight, crews can quickly move or reconfigure a barrier as the work progresses.

Compact Storage

Cone bars require relatively little storage space compared with many traditional barricades. Adjustable models can also collapse to a shorter length for easier transportation and storage.

Cost-Effective

If a facility or work crew already owns traffic cones or delineators, cone bars make it possible to turn that existing equipment into a temporary barrier system without purchasing a completely separate barricade system.

Adjustable 6-Foot to 10-Foot Cone Bars

One of the most versatile options available from Traffic Safety Store is the JBC 6’–10′ adjustable orange and white cone bar. The adjustable design makes it possible to change the distance between traffic cones or delineators without needing multiple fixed-length bars. This flexibility can be especially useful for construction sites, parking lots, warehouses, events, maintenance projects, and other temporary traffic control applications.

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Use Cone Bars With Traffic Cones

One of the simplest configurations is a cone bar installed between two standard traffic cones. Cone bars can be particularly useful with taller 28-inch and 36-inch traffic cones because the horizontal bar creates an easily visible boundary above ground level.

What Products Work With Cone Bars?

Cone bars can be used with a variety of Traffic Safety Store products that have compatible tops or handles. Depending on the particular cone bar and traffic control device, compatible products can include:

• Traffic cones
• TrafFix Looper Tubes
• TrafFix Looper Cones
• TrafFix Grabber Tubes
• JBC Arch Top delineators
• JBC Flat Top delineators
• JBC Square Top delineators
• Arrow Top delineators
• LC42 channelizers

Always confirm that the cone bar opening fits the specific traffic cone, delineator, or channelizer you plan to use.

Common Uses for Cone Bars

Because they can be installed and removed quickly, cone bars are useful in many environments where temporary traffic or pedestrian control is needed.

Construction and Maintenance Areas

Cone bars can help define the perimeter of a temporary work area and provide a stronger visual boundary than individual cones alone.

Parking Lots

Businesses and property managers can use cone bars to temporarily close parking spaces, drive aisles, entrances, loading areas, or sections of a parking lot.

Warehouses and Industrial Facilities

Cone bars can help isolate maintenance areas, equipment zones, spills, damaged flooring, or other temporary hazards inside large facilities.

Events

They can be used to create temporary pedestrian routes, queues, restricted areas, or access points for festivals, sporting events, fairs, and other gatherings.

Sidewalk and Pedestrian Areas

For appropriate applications, cone bars can help visually identify temporary closures and guide pedestrians around maintenance or construction activity.

Cone Bars vs. Traffic Barricades

Cone bars and traditional traffic barricades serve different purposes. The best choice depends on the environment, traffic conditions, regulatory requirements, and the level of channelization or physical separation required.

Planning a Temporary Work Zone?

The devices used to create a work zone are only one part of a safe traffic control setup. Cone placement, taper length, visibility, traffic speed, work duration, and roadway conditions can all affect how a temporary traffic control zone should be configured. For additional information, see these Traffic Safety Store guides:

• Traffic Cone Spacing Guide: How Far Apart Should Traffic Cones Be?
• Work Zone Taper Length: How Long Should a Traffic Control Taper Be?

A Simple Addition to Your Traffic Control Equipment

Cone bars are simple pieces of equipment, but that simplicity is also their biggest advantage. With a few traffic cones or delineators and several cone bars, crews can quickly establish a visible temporary boundary and then move, expand, or remove it as conditions change. For contractors, property managers, facility managers, municipalities, event organizers, and maintenance crews that regularly create temporary restricted areas, cone bars can be a useful addition to an existing traffic control inventory.

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Questions about cone bars or compatible traffic control products? Call the Traffic Safety Store at 800-429-9030.

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Disclaimer: This article is provided for general informational purposes only and is intended for U.S. audiences. Temporary traffic control requirements vary by roadway, application, jurisdiction, and project. Always follow applicable federal, state, local, agency, and site-specific requirements when establishing a work zone or pedestrian control area. Cone bars are visual traffic control devices and should not be treated as crashworthy barriers or used where a different traffic control device is required. “`