A concrete post and metal tube bridge railing in Newport, VT. Photo taken August 2010.
Do you ever think of bridge railings as historic? Many are character defining features of historic bridges, so much so that when one is replaced, the historic integrity of the bridge is adversely affected. These concrete & metal tube railings certainly are not loved like covered bridge or respected like truss bridges, but hopefully their time will come.
Preservation in Pink 
Railings are absolutely part of a bridge’s character — and usually the only part of its character the traveler sees. I’m always saddened when a bridge rehab replaces railings, even simple ones, with Jersey barriers. Another sadness is clumsy repairs. A bridge near my home has a railing like the one pictured, except where cars have struck it in a few places and the city repaired it with simple steel guardrail.