Abstract: Vortices often appear in front of water gates of a hydraulic structure. Scale model tests and theoretical analysis have been used in this work to study eddy-eliminating barriers in front of a radial gate, focusing on three schemes of arrangement: one pair, two pairs, and three pairs of fin-shaped barriers mounted on the gate plate. The schemes were compared using different widths and locations of the barriers in the flow condition of different gate openings. The study revealed that the barriers restricted the vortices to limited spaces where they were unable to extend or freely rotate and thus forced to disappear on the water surface or decay into smaller vortices. As a result, the barriers reduced the air-entraining vortex zone so that the goal of eddy-elimination was achieved. Of the three schemes, the arrangement of two pairs is the best. The width and location of a barrier significantly impact its eddy-eliminating effect. In general, the optimal location depends on the gate width and a wider barrier achieves better effect. However, design of barrier width should take into account the gate openings and real gate working conditions.