It’s the second most used structure for suicides in the US after the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.
Cowi will work in joint venture with TY Lin on the $140m project, which is scheduled for completion in September 2028.
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is the client. It said there were 18 fatalities in 2017, 17 in 2018, and 15 in 2019.
Caltrans put four-inch spikes along the bridge rail in 2019, but suicide attempts continue.
The bridge closes when there’s an attempt, necessitating an up to 60-minute detour for traffic.
How to stick out without sticking out?
Cowi’s challenge is to create an effective deterrent that cantilevers out from the existing concrete barrier while preserving the character of the historic structure, which opened in 1969.
The new structure must deter jumps without impeding under-bridge inspections, which typically involves hanging access platforms out and under the bridge deck from the top.
Cowi must also take wind loads and acoustics into account.
The company said the design would feature a stainless steel net configuration engineered to deter climbing and to prevent objects falling through.
“Delivering a robust, visually sensitive, and aerodynamically stable barrier on an existing, heavily trafficked structure is a technically complex task,” said Jack Gerwick, Cowi North America’s senior market director.
The project will be Caltrans’ first use of a “Progressive Design-Build” contract, which allows for early contractor and designer collaboration to speed the process up.
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