WASHINGTON – Construction crews have started preparations at the Connecticut Avenue NW / Taft Bridge for the installation of suicide barriers along the historic structure.
The District Department of Transportation (DDOT) has awarded a $9 million contract to Fort Myer Construction Corporation to replace the bridge’s existing metal railings and concrete pedestals with higher, reinforced barriers that preserve the bridge’s historic appearance while deterring suicide attempts.
According to the D.C. Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, 26 bridge-related suicides occurred across the District between 2010 and 2022. Thirteen of those deaths took place at the Taft Bridge, prompting calls for physical prevention measures.
The chosen design raises the height of the railings while recreating the original rhythm of stone piers, pedestals, and ornamental lampposts. The U.S. Commission of Fine Arts and the D.C. Historic Preservation Review Board also endorsed the plan after multiple rounds of design revisions to minimize visual impact on the bridge and the surrounding Rock Creek valley.
Renderings show slender vertical pickets and curved transitions that echo the bridge’s Beaux-Arts detailing and the sculpted Perry lions that flank each end. The new barriers are intended to blend with the structure’s granite and concrete fabric while meeting modern safety standards.
The National Capital Planning Commission, which reviewed the project under its advisory authority, approved DDOT’s final building plans on December 5, 2024. The DC government awarded the contract in the Summer of 2025 and expects construction to be complete in 2026.
The Taft Bridge was completed in 1907 and underwent a major rehabilitation in the 1990s that widened sidewalks and restored its decorative lighting. The new railings mark the latest effort to preserve the structure for the future while addressing a pressing safety concern.
The bridge, which carries Connecticut Avenue across Rock Creek Parkway, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and serves as one of the city’s most recognizable early 20th-century landmarks.
