CORONADO, Calif. (KGTV) - Caltrans has begun installing spikes along the Coronado Bridge, designed to deter suicide jumpers.
“It’s more of a psychological deterrent than anything else,” says Rhonda Haiston, the founder of the Coronado San Diego Bridge Collaborative for Suicide Prevention. Her group has campaigned to get barriers installed on the bridge.
The four-inch spikes may not serve as a physical barrier, but they may slow people down she says.
“If we can just give them a little extra effort they have to go through, we can stop them, talk to them,” says Haiston.
Caltrans said the project had an estimated cost of $100,000 to $300,000.
The spikes will be placed along both sides of the bridge across the 2.1 mile span. The project will take several nights, with lane closures beginning at 8 p.m.
Meanwhile, Caltrans says it is still researching other long term solutions that could consist of fences, heightened barriers, glass panels or nets. But so far, nothing has been officially chosen and no funding sources have be secured.
