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[Alias the J]

What are these sections of wall on the NJ approach spans for?  This photo from roadwaywiz's trip SI-bound shows them):
Yet I can only guess they popped up after 2000 because this photo from that year shows the span otherwise devoid of anything on the barrier:

[SteveG1988]

They're there to keep people from throwing stuff out of their cars onto stuff below. Normally put near railroad and road crossings from high level bridges.

[jeffandnicole]

Most likely they are railroad tracks below.  Railroad tracks tend to have solid walls. 

BTW, I don't think the two pics are from the same location.  The first pic shows an incline towards a bridge structure to the left; the 2nd pic shows a descent and eventual curve to the right.

[Alias the J]

Most likely they are railroad tracks below.  Railroad tracks tend to have solid walls. 

BTW, I don't think the two pics are from the same location.  The first pic shows an incline towards a bridge structure to the left; the 2nd pic shows a descent and eventual curve to the right.

No, they aren't.  Not too many pics of the approach span itself from recently (one I found was from the 1950s, before the PANYNJ widened the approaches!); roadwaywiz's is from the SI-bound approach and the bottom is on the NJ side before the curve.  I don't know how much of the old Easton & Amboy tracks were ripped out as time went by but when did those walls first appear?

[Duke87]

one I found was from the 1950s, before the PANYNJ widened the approaches!

This one?


By the way, the approaches were not widened. The sidewalks were removed to allow the lanes to be widened on the existing structure.


Anyway, those raised walls exist in various sections but you will notice they're all where the approach roadway either crosses a street or has a house right next to it. The purpose is to prevent debris that is blown or thrown from vehicles from being able to fall on the streets below and cause damage or injury.

Meanwhile they're considerably older than 2000 - they're not visible in that image you found because it's taken from much closer to the main span, so they'd all be in the background where everything is too blurry to discern.
A perusal of Historic Aerials indicates they were installed between 1963 and 1966.

[Alias the J]

Was it ever a continuous wall?

[Duke87]

Was it ever a continuous wall?

Satellite imagery says... no. It was installed in the mid-60s in exactly the same discontinuous segments that are still present today.

Which makes sense - it was only installed where there was something underneath the side of the bridge that warranted protection from debris.

[DeaconG]

Generally, when you see them on bridges they're there to block anyone from getting near the catenary wires for the rail line. 1 Kv at several hundred amps is "KFC Spicy Roasted Long Pig."

[MCRoads]

On a completely unrelated note, the bridge is indeed the outermost bridge (geographically) to cross into NYC, but is actually named after Eugenias Harvey Outerbridge. Named for an obscure reason that seems very obvious.

[kevinb1994]

On a completely unrelated note, the bridge is indeed the outermost bridge (geographically) to cross into NYC, but is actually named after Eugenias Harvey Outerbridge. Named for an obscure reason that seems very obvious.

It usually sits well with us roadgeeks because it’s probably the best excuse for such a crossing.