White House Gets Closer to Having a Brand New Fence

The White House is getting closer to having a brand new fence -- and hopefully one that's a bit tougher to jump over.

The United States Secret Service and National Park Service made a presentation before the Commission on Fine Arts on "preliminary concepts" for a new White House fence, the NPS said in a statement today.

The White House has been plagued by numerous incidents in recent years of people trying to jump over the fence, with some success. It got to be so bad the Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned in 2014 when one fence-jumper reached the White House.

Authorities hope this new fence will solve those problems.

"The preliminary long-term fence concept presented today is part of a phased approach to enhance security of the White House and its environs," the statement reads. "The initial phase focuses on the fence around the White House and its immediate grounds. Later this summer, the USSS and NPS will provide an informational presentation before the commissions on preliminary concepts for an updated fence around the U.S. Department of the Treasury and Eisenhower Executive Office Building— phase two of the effort. A phased approach allows the agencies to address priority needs as expeditiously as possible."

The preliminary concept would include, naturally, a taller and stronger fence that is designed to stop climbers, while "respecting the historical significance and visitor experience at the White House."

Construction of the fence is anticipated to begin in 2018. In the meantime, the USSS and NPS have been relying on temporary security enhancements.

Last May, the NPS outlined exactly what those temporary measures would entail.

"Crews will rearrange existing officer booths on E Street, install a new officer booth at the Constitution Avenue entrance to the Ellipse, and update the vehicle checkpoints by replacing concrete barriers with mobile steel plate barriers which can be raised and lowered," the statement reads. "A removable anti-climb feature consisting of sharp metal points will be installed on the top of the White House fence. The feature is meant to deter and inhibit individuals who may attempt to climb over the fence. Work is expected to begin in early July and take about four weeks. This temporary measure will be in place until a long-term solution is implemented."