CORONADO (NEWS 8) – Far too often the Coronado bridge is used by people to end their own life, but a new plan could help save lives. While a permanent solution is still years away, Cal Trans will begin installing bird spikes as a temporary measure to deter anyone contemplating suicide off the bridge.
The new barrier comes at a time when the number of suicides from the Coronado Bridge have spiked 50 percent in the past eight years.
Since opening in 1969, more than 400 people have jumped to their deaths from the bridge. The bird spikes Cal Trans plans to install will stretch two miles.
Rhonda Haiston helped found the Coronado San Diego Bridge Collaboration for Suicide Prevention. She recognized the spikes are a temporary move, but she believes they will help. “We are very optimistic, hopeful that this is going to decrease the numbers we have been seeing year after year.”
San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge has seen 1,700 suicides since it opened in the late 1930’s. A safety net is now being installed to try to prevent jumpers – a $221 million project despite some public criticism over the use of public funds.
In San Diego, while some critics persist, Haiston has seen a remarkable shift in the public’s mindset.
A long-term solution is still years away, but a number of options are being considered, from mesh fences to glass panels to tall thistles. A safety net like the one in San Francisco would not be feasible due to military restrictions.
The cost of a long-term solution ranges from $30 to $137 million, according to Cal Trans – which is also in the process of identifying possible funding sources.
________
EDITOR'S NOTE: A previous version of this story said 4,000 people had jumped to their deaths from the Coronado Bridge. The story has been corrected to say 400 people have jumped to their deaths from the bridge.
