It’s time for the NMDOT to raise the rails

Walking along the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, it’s easy to marvel at the sheer awesomeness of the size, the danger. But, after yet another person died in a suspected fall from the bridge last Monday, it’s fair to ask questions of the New Mexico Department of Transportation, under whose jurisdiction care and maintenance for the bridge falls.

First, it’s important to understand some of the numbers and history associated with the Rio accent in Río Grande Gorge Bridge.

The Gorge Bridge was constructed in 1965 as part of US Route 64. At 650 feet high, it is the fifth highest bridge in the United States, according to taos.org. It spans 1,280 feet and was awarded the “Most Beautiful Steel Bridge” in the “Long Span” category in 1966 by the American Institute of Steel Construction. It has since been the site for filming several major motion pictures, including “Natural Born Killers.”

The dimensions and numbers associated with the bridge are impressive. The Gorge Bridge also comes with disturbing numbers. Like the fact that the bridge averages 2.5 suicides annually according to the New Mexico Office of the Medical Examiner. Last year, four people committed suicide on the Gorge Bridge.

Here are a few other (indirectly) related numbers to keep in mind as well. According to New Mexico’s Indicator Based Information System, suicide accounts for 36 deaths out of every 100,000 in Taos County, one of the highest rates in the state. New Mexico’s suicide rate has remained at roughly twice the national average since 1995.

The Gorge Bridge, as is the case with many high bridges around the world, has been a popular suicide spot for decades (with at least 125 deaths recorded over the last 25 years.). The life lost was National Guardsman Juan Munoz, whose car was found abandoned by the bridge on February 20. Suicide has not been confirmed as the cause of death.

So, if suicide is so common on the Gorge Bridge, why has nothing been done?

The DOT claims money is a major reason why more safety precautions haven’t been put in place. But the Bridge received a $2.4 million facelift in 2012 and safety seems to have been a secondary concern on the list of improvements, which included a new concrete deck surface, new sidewalks, ramps, curbs, and gutters.

Adding more suicide prevention equipment wouldn’t cost $2.4 million. There are companies, like Jakob Rope Systems, that specialize in safety ropes for high bridges. But a simple, welded-on fence extension would be more than sufficient to add muchneeded safety. The Bridge has a number of safety devices in place. There are call boxes along its length, the curbs are extra high to prevent cars from veering.The speed limit even drops by nearly half (to 30 mph) as drivers approach. What is a little more fencing if it means saving lives?