Bridges in the USA

[dazed.daydreamer]

Hey, it's been a while. I tried to push through and live, as I have many times before, and like always, I end up back here. Realizing my defectiveness is inherent and no matter how much I want to move past it, this is not an option. I once again tried medication, therapy, and self-help with little success. I have to accept that if I live, I will live like this long-term, and that simply isn't it worth it for me or the people around me, regardless of how scared I am of death deep down. I am nothing but a leech on society and on my loved ones, I find little joy in living, and the fact I haven't killed myself yet despite realizing this years ago, only because of my own fear, is unjustifiably selfish. I'm planning to CTB some time before May this year, probably April so I have time for preparations.

I'll probably hang myself, that's always been my planned method because it's the most realistic and reliable for me. But I am curious if there are any bridges in the USA, preferably over water rather than land, that are tall enough for jumping off to guarantee death and accessible. I would be willing to take a long road trip to get there; that could be a nice final day, even. So, are there any left that don't have safety nets/etc?

 

[TheHolySword]

Death is not necessarily guaranteed from jumping, there is plenty that can go wrong. Jumping is also considered one of the most difficult methods to overcome SI, so you'll have to be prepared for that. Otherwise there are so many bridges in the US of a substantial height, most are probably over water, too. Look up a wikipedia article for bridges by height in the US, there probably is one. Beyond that you'll have to do some digging to see what safety precautions there are.

 

[MrCasella]

Death is not necessarily guaranteed from jumping, there is plenty that can go wrong. Jumping is also considered one of the most difficult methods to overcome SI, so you'll have to be prepared for that. Otherwise there are so many bridges in the US of a substantial height, most are probably over water, too. Look up a wikipedia article for bridges by height in the US, there probably is one. Beyond that you'll have to do some digging to see what safety precautions there are.

Would 17 feet kill someone ?

 

[locked*n*loaded]

There are all kind of bridges high enough in the US to jump from and kill yourself. Even in my mid-size town, we have a suspension bridge over a river that many have jumped from. I think the height to the water from one of the suspension towers is around 800 ft. Plenty have jumped to their death from it. On the suspension cable protective tubes, they put up "barracades" years ago several feet up from where it meets the deck, but looking at them it's obvious that they could be "climbed around" if someone so desired. Bridge inspectors do it all the time. Personally, I wouldn't do it because it's just not the way I want to go, but I'm surprised some brave suicidal person hasn't gone that route in quite a while, at least as far as I know. No nets like some locales have put up. Obviously, can't name the bridge as that would give away my location. Only commenting to say there are bridges out there that still would suffice.

 

[Hollowman]

Royal gorge

 

[ShatteredSerenity]

Would 17 feet kill someone ?

Well technically it could kill someone, considering that around 17,000 people in the US die each year by falling from 0 feet after they trip or slip. The people who are dying are usually over 65, and only a small percentage die. It's much more likely to cause fractures, and it's a leading cause of traumatic brain injury. For someone who isn't elderly 17 feet is more likely to case multiple fractures, severe trauma to internal organs and head, and potential brain injury and paralysis.

General recommendation is to jump from at least 150 feet over land.

There are all kind of bridges high enough in the US to jump from and kill yourself. Even in my mid-size town, we have a suspension bridge over a river that many have jumped from. I think the height to the water from one of the suspension towers is around 800 ft. Plenty have jumped to their death from it. On the suspension cable protective tubes, they put up "barracades" years ago several feet up from where it meets the deck, but looking at them it's obvious that they could be "climbed around" if someone so desired. Bridge inspectors do it all the time. Personally, I wouldn't do it because it's just not the way I want to go, but I'm surprised some brave suicidal person hasn't gone that route in quite a while, at least as far as I know. No nets like some locales have put up. Obviously, can't name the bridge as that would give away my location. Only commenting to say there are bridges out there that still would suffice.

There are many high bridges in the US, but these days there are suicide barriers on anything tall and accessible to urban areas. When people start jumping to death at a location it tends to become a mecca for other suicidal people in the area, and that causes problems for people who deal with the aftermath, and those who live, work, or travel when the bridge is located in a populated area. In a small town they might not do anything about it, but in areas with larger populations they are likely to install effective suicide barriers.

One bridge that doesn't yet have suicide barriers is the Coronado bridge in San Diego. The barrier is planned, but construction is still at least a couple years off. It's 200 feet over water, which isn't ideal. The recommended minimum is 250 feet over water. There have been a few survivors who jumped from the Coronado bridge, and it's certain that many more jumpers survived the fall with severe injuries and were conscious and in excruciating pain as they drowned in the bay.

I wouldn't generally recommend jumping into water because the chance of surviving with intact consciousness and drowning to death is very high.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Well technically it could kill someone, considering that around 17,000 people in the US die each year by falling from 0 feet after they trip or slip. The people who are dying are usually over 65, and only a small percentage die. It's much more likely to cause fractures, and it's a leading cause of traumatic brain injury. For someone who isn't elderly 17 feet is more likely to case multiple fractures, severe trauma to internal organs and head, and potential brain injury and paralysis.

General recommendation is to jump from at least 150 feet over land.


There are many high bridges in the US, but these days there are suicide barriers on anything tall and accessible to urban areas. When people start jumping to death at a location it tends to become a mecca for other suicidal people in the area, and that causes problems for people who deal with the aftermath, and those who live, work, or travel when the bridge is located in a populated area. In a small town they might not do anything about it, but in areas with larger populations they are likely to install effective suicide barriers.

One bridge that doesn't yet have suicide barriers is the Coronado bridge in San Diego. The barrier is planned, but construction is still at least a couple years off. It's 200 feet over water, which isn't ideal. The recommended minimum is 250 feet over water. There have been a few survivors who jumped from the Coronado bridge, and it's certain that many more jumpers survived the fall with severe injuries and were conscious and in excruciating pain as they drowned in the bay.

I wouldn't generally recommend jumping into water because the chance of surviving with intact consciousness and drowning to death is very high.

As I said, the one in my town does have barriers to "try" and keep people from climbing up to the top of the supports, but they are easily circumvented by just manipulating oneself around them.

 

[ShatteredSerenity]

As I said, the one in my town does have barriers to "try" and keep people from climbing up to the top of the supports, but they are easily circumvented by just manipulating oneself around them.

Yeah the design and effectiveness of barriers varies a lot. Highly effective barriers can be insanely expensive, for example the Golden Gate Bridge net cost $224 million and the Coronado bridge net is expected to cost $128 million. They built a much simpler 9 foot fence barrier on the Aurora bridge in Seattle for only $5 million, and that one is certainly not insurmountable although I haven't heard of any suicides since it was installed.

In general these barriers are getting built from state and possibly federal transportation budgets, and they're always strapped for cash so they usually only install expensive barriers in dense urban areas. In less dense areas they might install a cheap deterrent, or just leave it alone. In my state the tallest bridge is abandoned, and all they did for a barrier is to remove a few rows of railroad ties to make it harder to reach the deck. People occasionally jump from it, but it's out in the forest so they don't spend any money on better barriers.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Yeah the design and effectiveness of barriers varies a lot. Highly effective barriers can be insanely expensive, for example the Golden Gate Bridge net cost $224 million and the Coronado bridge net is expected to cost $128 million. They built a much simpler 9 foot fence barrier on the Aurora bridge in Seattle for only $5 million, and that one is certainly not insurmountable although I haven't heard of any suicides since it was installed.

In general these barriers are getting built from state and possibly federal transportation budgets, and they're always strapped for cash so they usually only install expensive barriers in dense urban areas. In less dense areas they might install a cheap deterrent, or just leave it alone. In my state the tallest bridge is abandoned, and all they did for a barrier is to remove a few rows of railroad ties to make it harder to reach the deck. People occasionally jump from it, but it's out in the forest so they don't spend any money on better barriers.

It's amazing they put anything up on the bridge in my shit-hole of a town.

A friend from my youth and I actually climbed up one of the cement piers of the bridge and got into the "tunnel" part of one of the support spans. Takes you from one side of the river to the other. When we got back to the side we started from, we noticed cops down below checking out my friend's car - an old, black boat of a car, a 1972 Buick Electra. They were all around the car, looking inside through tinted windows, trying to open the doors. We just watched them from above and came down after they left. Lots of people would park down there to go fishing along the banks. That's probably what they thought after a while. It was hilarious watching them, but then again, we were like 17 years old, certainly stoned, and probably drunk, too.