To Prevent Suicides, GW Bridge Is Getting a Fence
Ten people have committed suicide off the George Washington Bridge so far in 2017, and police prevented 45 others from jumping, according to a spokesman at the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.
In 2014, 18 jumped to their deaths and police prevented 74 suicides.
The fall from the bridge, which is suspended 25 stories above the Hudson River, is lethal. The bridge is 40 feet higher than the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. Currently, the only barrier between a person and the water is a waist-high handrail.
Starting next week, on Sept. 25, temporary fencing will be installed on the south side walkway, which will be closed off for the rest of the year. Pedestrians and cyclists will be detoured to the north side walkway.
Permanent fencing on both sides is expected to be completed by 2025. It's part of a larger $1.9 billion restoration that involves replacing all 592 steel ropes that hold up the bridge.
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