Penobscot Narrows Bridge Barriers Delayed Due To Wind Study

Since its construction in 2006, the Penobscot Narrows Bridge, which connects Prospect and Verona Island, has been considered a modern engineering marvel. One of only 3 bridges like it in the world, thanks to its Observation tower, the Maine DOT website says the bridge is a draw for tourists and locals alike.

"The bridge cost $85 million to design and build. This bridge was planned, funded, designed, permitted and built in only 42 months. The structure has won multiple awards, including the 2007 IBC George S. Richardson Medal, and was a finalist for the international Outstanding Civil Engineering Achievement Award."

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But the bridge has had its fair share of negative publicity over the years because of the number of people who have chosen to jump from it to their deaths.

As such, a plan was created to construct suicide barriers along the bridge, to prevent folks from jumping.

The Republican Journal says that the barriers were supposed to be put up this spring, but plans to do so have been delayed.

"The Maine Department of Transportation initially planned to start the barrier fencing project this spring, after new bridge lighting was installed. That project is now completed, MDOT Communications Director Paul Merrill told The Republican Journal, but in the course of designing the barrier system, engineers identified a potential problem."

It stated that engineers were not sure if the fences they had planned to put up would withstand the wind speeds at that height, and needed to perform some tests first to ensure the safety of the project.

They estimate this will delay the construction of the barriers by at least 6 months.