Golden Gate Bridge officials next week will begin the process of finding a construction firm to build the landmark $76 million suicide barrier.
On Friday the bridge board approved a deal with the National Park Service to allow builders to store material and equipment on park lands during construction. The bridge district on Tuesday will seek bidders for the barrier work, which couldn’t have happened without the agreement.
“We don’t own any land here at the bridge,” said Denis Mulligan, bridge general manager, noting when the span was built it received a permit from what was then known as the U.S. Department of War. “The park service is now the federal agency that controls the land.”
The Federal Highway Administration and Caltrans, other key players in the project, had signed off on the work. Negotiations with the park service took longer, but an agreement was finally signed in the past few days.
“For too long tragedy and loss has been part of the national park at the Golden Gate,” said Aaron Roth, assistant superintendent at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. “We look forward to a future where the beauty and inspiration of this beautiful place are not overshadowed by these tragic losses and deep sorrow.”
Bids for the barrier work will be opened in January, with another six weeks needed to go through the submissions made by bidders.
Once a construction firm is selected, which could be as soon as March, preliminary work could start within weeks, although parts for the actual net device would take some time to manufacture, bridge officials said.
Once work begins, the project would take roughly 3.5 years to complete, although financial incentives will be offered to the contractor to complete the work as soon as possible, bridge officials have said.
“This needs to be done, no more hesitations,” said Manuel Gamboa of Fair Oaks, whose 18-year-old son, Kyle, jumped from the span in September 2013.
“It’s looking good now. Thank you,” Gamboa told the board Friday.
The Gamboa family has doggedly pushed for the barrier ever since, coming to almost every bridge meeting to advocate for the barrier.
The bridge district’s barrier plan calls for a net extending 20 feet below and 20 feet from both sides of the span, although it will have to be modified in certain areas because of surrounding terrain. The net would be made of stainless steel cable and would collapse slightly if someone jumped in, making it difficult to get out, bridge officials said. It would take up to three years to build.
While people could still jump into the net, such occurrences might be rare because the net would act as a deterrent. A similar net was placed more than a decade ago on the Munster Terrace cathedral in Bern, Switzerland, and since then no suicide attempts have been reported.
Caltrans will contribute $22 million to the overall project, the state $7 million from Mental Health Services Act funds and the Golden Gate Bridge district $20 million in addition to $27 million from the Metropolitan Transportation Commission