Is A Fence Really That Hard To Do? (TZ Bridge)

[x635 4,066]

It seems like every week, or sometimes multiple times a week, we read about another person stopping their car on the bridge and jumping off. I'm always reading about how Tarrytown or Rockland respond with their boat, sometimes saving the person.

Not only does this place emergency responders in the water and on the deck at risk, it also places other motorists at risk when a car stops and parks in a lane, and also causes a rubbernecking hazard. And, at times it causes massive traffic jams on a bridge that has too many already.

So, my question is, how hard would it be to install some high, non-ugly, non or delayed scalable fencing along the Tappan Zee Bridge. I think this would help to solve a very dangerous and deadly issue that seems to be plaguing the bridge.

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[Guest]

Probably not hard to do, but think of the engineering involved. The wind in the Hudson River Valley adds a sizeable load to the bridge, even though it may not seem like much, the added wind load of a fence could cause problems to the resonance of the structure. Just be happy you live and work on the same side of the river, I know I am!

Feel Better!

[jcoppola 52]

Really good point...especially with the strength of the Hudson River currents in that area.

[wmurpht 1]

bridge maintenance would have to scale the fence to do their work also.

fence simple idea, but not as easy as said.

[firecapt32 282]

Well at least your mind is working x635 and thats a good thing lets all hope the body is following. I for one miss you and want you back on the job as soon as possible.

[Oswegowind 17]

Can also place a big net under the bridge 5-10 feet below...that would slow them up a bit.

[Guest bibbles10504]

Or maybe a little electric fence.... then you can turn it off to do work, but wont be able to touch it to get over it... probably woudlnt be much wind resistance either

[JetPhoto 626]

but that would ruin the scenic views....

[Oswegowind 17]

huh?????????? stopping for the view jet?

[Guest]

One more thing to take into account is cost. I understand that if it saves one life it is worth the expense but explain that to tax payers and politicians. Also is it worth it to invest the money into a bridge that has already outlived its life span, and add more stress to it. When the bridge was first built it was designed to carry far fewer cars than it does presently, so would the extra stress of a fence push the limits? I do believe that there have been talks of replacing the bride, so is it worth the money and effort to build a fence. By the time that fence is designed, put out to bid and built a new bridge might just be under way.

[huzzie59 75]

Compared to other forms of suicide, is the Tapan Zee Bridge really the method of choice of people intent on suicide?

I would say it's only the most dramatic method.

Evne if there are 4 successful suicides a year from jumpers, how many more are there per year by other methods?

[Oswegowind 17]

Now the best way to do it....ah...pm me...don't want to give away my methods.

[huzzie59 75]

The entire bridge would not need to be fenced off. Roughly 7,000 lf times the two sides = 14,000 lf.

If you say this work could be done for $200.00 to $300.00 lf = $2.8 to $4.2 Million. Plus design costs and any additional costs associated with heavy steel reinforcement that made be needed based on design.

[Capejake72 8]

might want to check with the Army Corp of Engineers, they put a similair fence up along both the bridges over the Cape Cod Canal some years back, both had had multiple suicide attempts over the years, they sit over 130ft above high water, the fence is over 8ft high with inward pointing hooks, so you can climb up over it, but as it's bars, you can still see through fairly easily

[Bababoosky 24]

Jumpers from the TZB account for less than 2% of the suicides in Westchester County every year.

[Oswegowind 17]

That is cause most of them jump on the Rockland side...hahahahahahaha