Port Authority To Install Safety Fences At GWB

FORT LEE, NJ — A temporary safety fence will be installed on the George Washington Bridge's south walkway as a way of preventing suicides on the bridge.

The fence is part of a $1.9 billion Restore the George restoration plan by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency announced Monday. It will also be the predecessor of a permanent, 11-foot-high fence that will go next to pedestrian walkways on both sides on the bridge.

The Port Authority has taken up several pedestrian safety measures on the bridge, including having police patrol the bridge on foot and stationing Emergency Service Units on it. The Port Authority has partnered with mental health care providers in New York and New Jersey who offer counseling and services to people experiencing a crisis.

Authorities have intervened in 45 situations involving emotionally disturbed people who were considering doing themselves harm on the bridge this year, the Port Authority said.

Port Authority Police Officer Juan "Father" Guzman helped save the lives of 70 possible suicide victims in 2016. Twelve people committed suicide by jumping off the bridge in 2016, down from 18 in 2016.

RELATED: This Cop Has Stopped Dozens Of Suicides At The George Washington Bridge

Once the temporary fence is installed on the south sidewalk this year, the north sidewalk will be closed. Work will begin on replacing the northern-side suspender ropes in 2018. Once the north walkway opens, the south walkway will be closed to replace ropes on that side and install the permanent fence.

The restoration program also includes replacing the bridge's original 592 suspension ropes.

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Photo: The George Washington Bridge/Patch file photo