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Augusta fence
spurs controversy
(November
2006 Issue)
By Phyllis Hanlon
Since 1983, the presence of an 11-foot high fence on both sides
of the Memorial Bridge in Augusta, Maine has deterred suicidal individuals
from jumping to their death. Last year, the bridge, which spans
the Kennebec River, underwent extensive renovations and the fence
was temporarily removed. Now reopened to auto and foot traffic,
the bridge is once again usable, but without the protection of the
fence. Some citizens in Maine would like to keep it that way, while
others are pressing for reinstallation of the barrier.
David L. Gomeau, city councilor, Ward 3, reports that council members
twice voted to retain the fence by a seven-to-one margin. In the
wake of community protest, however, the council held a couple of
hearings to hear arguments from the opposition. "But no one showed
up," he says.
According to Gomeau, a former city councilor led the drive to dispense
with the barrier. Some arguments claimed that the fence disrupted
the view from the bridge and impaired the aesthetics. "It takes
24 to 26 seconds to cross the bridge [by car]," says Gomeau. "You
are supposed to be paying attention to your driving, not the view.
There are parks on either side of the river if you want that."
Before the fence was erected, between 11 and 14 people committed
suicide from the bridge, notes Gomeau. "That fence belongs there.
A lot of experts explained that because of the nature of the bridge
- it is close to a mental facility - people who have to cross the
bridge might jump," he says. "You also have to think about residents
who have problems. A lot of previous jumpers were not from the mental
hospital. They were neighbors and friends."
The 2,100-foot bridge features two lanes for vehicular traffic
and a sidewalk on each side of the road. There is a 100-foot drop
to the water at the centermost point on the bridge.
Carol Carothers, executive director of NAMI-Maine, says, "There
is a continued failure to understand mental illness. It's the number
one health problem in the country. Suicide is the second leading
cause of death in young people 15 to 24 years old in Maine."
Carothers further explains that public safety is at the heart of
the fence issue. Admittedly, mental health services in Maine have
improved, which is one of the arguments opponents have used. However,
suicide rates have not decreased, according to Carothers. "Maine
has a higher than the national rate of suicide. There were [suicide]
attempts when the fence was down." NAMI-Maine's board president
testified at hearings in favor of restoring the fence.
According to Gomeau, the final vote to reinstitute the fence will
be upheld. Maine's Department of Transportation (DOT) has plans
to reinstall the fence and has already set aside funds for the work.
He says, "All projects designate that a certain amount of money
from a project - one percent - has to be spent for safety." Gomeau
points out that a fair amount of work remains to be done on the
bridge and that no timetable for reinstallation has been set. A
similar chain-link type fence will replace the old one, he says.
Several attempts to reach opponents to the fence reinstallation
were unsuccessful.
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