The George Washington Bridge is finally getting a multimillion dollar suicide-prevention fence, if 2024 counts as "finally."
A spokesperson with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey told NJ.com that engineers need to ensure the fence, which is expected to cost around $35 to $50 million, will be able to prevent people from jumping off the bridge without affecting the bridge's structure, hence the lengthy timeframe.
Last year, the Port Authority said they had stepped up surveillance and police patrols in hopes of stemming suicides off the bridge, and proposed installing a 9-foot-high fence that was expected to take a decade to build. Though the bridge was no stranger to sporadic suicides—officials say there used to be an average of about six a year—there have been 7 suicides this year thus far. This week alone, a 22-year-old terminally ill woman from Minnesota jumped to her death, as did a yet-identified woman just a day later. Last year, there were 18 suicides off the bridge.
Officials say they'll continue to amp up efforts to stop jumpers while they wait for the bridge to be installed, noting that patrolmen stopped 74 suicide attempts in 2014.
If someone you know exhibits warning signs of suicide: do not leave the person alone; remove any firearms, alcohol, drugs or sharp objects that could be used in a suicide attempt; and call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) or take the person to an emergency room or seek help from a medical or mental health professional.
