Note:
This article discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is in crisis, you can call or text the national Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 or visit 988lifeline.org.
The Coronado Bridge, with a history of deaths by suicide, is set to see new safety barriers built under a fast-track state construction process. But the plan remains largely unfunded, and local leaders say they’re worried that without public support, the life-saving effort could still end up stalled.
Updates on the bridge safety project emerged last week, as officials from the California Department of Transportation presented their plans to Coronado officials.
That same day, Coronado’s city council adopted a proclamation recognizing September as National Suicide Prevention Month. The issue hits home in a community that has been home to countless members of the Navy, but also to many military service members who have died by suicide, Mayor John Duncan noted.
Since the bridge’s completion in 1969, the bridge officially known as the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge has been the site of an estimated 550 deaths by suicide. Caltrans’ new plan for vertical nets aims to limit that number.
Suicide experts caution against publicizing suicide deaths and locations due to the contagion effect. At the same time, they note the importance of projects like the one on the Coronado Bridge.
“One of the most effective public health approaches to prevent suicide is restricting access to lethal means, such as bridge barriers and nets,” said Holly Wilcox, professor in the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Duncan acknowledged the city is wary of drawing undue attention to the site. And Caltrans information officer Paulina Sierra said the agency limits updates about the project for that reason. But with the construction still in search of a funding source, Duncan said publicity may be necessary to raise support from elected officials to finish funding the project.
“Whatever it takes to get it done, we want to help with that advocacy,” Duncan said.
Contract awarded
After years of advocacy, the project to add vertical nets along the bridge’s two-mile length is in the design phase with a joint venture from contractors Myers & Sons Construction and Traylor Bros. in partnership with engineering firms COWI + TYLin.
According to Caltrans, the agency aims to build quickly while still meeting California’s strict environmental rules, with a target of being completed by 2028 – a year sooner than initial estimates.
Caltrans project manager Chuck Gray said the project is the first in a pilot program where Caltrans can use a progressive design-build instead of completing one step at a time.
“It’s more efficient from a schedule perspective,” Gray said.
For example, some materials that take a long time to acquire can be ordered during the late design phase instead of when construction starts. Construction firms do not need to wait to mobilize until after being awarded the contract once the design is finalized. Instead, they are prepared to work as soon as the design is completed enough for an accurate cost estimate.
Caltrans received authorization to test the new build method in 2023. The Coronado Bridge will be the first project delivered under the trial since it is a priority for the agency.
“We understand every day matters. Every month matters. We want to get this job done as quickly as we can,” Gray said.
Barriers to the project
The project came with challenges for the agency. It needed outside expertise since Caltrans is used to road and bridge construction, not barriers. The curvature of the bridge means the nets must be vertical but need to be transparent to avoid impeding views. Plus, Caltrans has to coordinate with the railroads and receive a permit from MTS.
Most concerning, construction has not been funded.
“We’re continuing to look for funding for the remainder of the project, for the construction component,” Gray said.
Several grant applications have been rejected. Now they are looking to allocated funding from Congress.
The cost of the project is still unknown. The initial contract was for $140 million.
Golden Gate success
For many years, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco had the largest number of suicides in the U.S. However, a safety net was completed on the bridge in early 2024. The bridge saw a major decrease in the suicide rate there within just the first year – it was 73% down from pre-installation numbers, according to a study published in Injury Prevention – likely leaving Coronado as the deadliest bridge in North America.
The Golden Gate nets were initially controversial, both for their $400 million price tag and impact on the aesthetic of the iconic landmark.
Some critics questioned the nets’ effectiveness before their installation but the World Health Organization recommends so-called means restriction as one of the most effective, evidence-backed ways to prevent suicide deaths.
Mental crises can be temporary and people act impulsively during them — an idea many suicide survivors reiterate.
“I’ve been having thoughts of taking my life. But I will never, ever attempt again so long as I shall live,” said mental health advocate Kevin Hines in a recent podcast interview. Hines survived a jump from the Golden Gate Bridge on Sept. 25, 2000. In the 25 years since, he has spread a message of hope, encouraging people to keep asking for help until they find it.
“Suicidal ideation is the greatest liars we know. Don’t listen to them,” Hines said. “You’re meant to be here and I love you.”
Studies have suggested making a high-risk location – such as a bridge – inaccessible brings down a region’s total jumping suicide rate.
The John Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention team did not find limiting access to one bridge led to an increase in suicides from other local bridges, Wilcox said.
“Installing nets and barriers can be especially effective if the bridge is known to be a place where suicides have occurred and is readily accessible,” Wilcox, of the John Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention, said.
Coronado activists waiting
Volunteers monitor the bridge and there are call boxes to helplines like 9-8-8, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Trained counselors are also available via texts to 9-8-8. Not everyone in crisis asks for help, though.
Local advocates including Wayne Strickland, a former Coronado fire captain, were in the audience at the city council meeting. Strickland has worked for years to have elected officials find, and fund, a deterrent on the bridge.
“It should be faster because in the meantime, there’s another 50 lives … lost,” Strickland said in a 2023 interview with San Diego Downtown News.
In 2024, six people died on the Coronado Bridge and three more had died by April of this year, according to The Coronado News.
Construction is expected to start in 2026, if the funding is secured.
