Golden Gate Bridge Suicide Barrier Nearing Completion: Report

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A barrier net intended to stop suicidal jumpers on the Golden Gate Bridge was expected to be finished by the end of 2023, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

On average, 30 people a year kill themselves by jumping off the bridge, according to some estimates.

The $211 million safety barrier, known officially as the Suicide Deterrent System, will be a metal net 20 feet below the sidewalk that extends 20 feet out from the bridge. It will travel the entire 1.7-mile length of the bridge on both sides and was designed to blend into the iconic, picturesque bridge as much as possible.

Engineers designed the net to avoid affecting any views from the bridge, according to the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District. Jumping onto the net will result in bruises or sprains, but it will still save lives, the bridge district said.

As of March, nearly three-quarters of the steel supports had been installed, according to SFist. As of this week, construction workers had installed 264 out of 369 orange net supports and 20,000 square feet of woven steel.

The costly barrier was funded by $74 million from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, $70 million from the California Department of Transportation, $60 million from the Golden Gate Bridge district, $7 million from the State of California Mental Health Funds and $400,000 from private contributions, among other sources, the Golden Gate Bridge district reported.

Advocates have begged for a suicide deterrent almost since the bridge was completed in 1937. Two years later, the California Highway Patrol asked the Golden Gate Bridge district to construct a barrier, Paul Muller, president of the Bridge Rail Foundation, told the Chronicle.

To date, more than 1,800 people have jumped the 245 feet into the turbulent waters underneath, according to bridge officials. In the past year alone, bridge officials reported 21 suicides.

Despite those sobering figures, the Golden Gate District did not approve a suicide deterrent net until 2014, and construction did not begin until 2017. The project was plagued with logistical problems stemming from design complications and the challenges of transporting equipment. Those challenges were compounded by a two-year pandemic and resulting supply chain issues.

In December, a steel supplier sued the lead contractor, Shimmick Construction Co. for $15 million, alleging contract changes that required extra work and increased the cost. Golden Gate Bridge district spokesperson Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz told the Chronicle that “the contractor has not been working as quickly as we would like” and said the district was working with the contractor to speed up construction.

Representatives from Shimmick declined the Chronicle’s request to comment.

Still, bridge officials added other deterrents, including security patrols, surveillance cameras and call boxes. Cosulich-Schwartz told the Chronicle that emergency responders were able to successfully prevent 198 suicide attempts in 2021 and 20 in 2022.

If you are having suicidal thoughts, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7:

• 800-273-TALK (8255)
• Spanish line: 888-628-9454
• TTY: 800-799-4TTY (4889)