New Mexico’s neglect of public safety at the Gorge Bridge is a disgrace

When the Río Grande Gorge Bridge was completed in 1965, the American Institute of Steel Construction named it the “Most Beautiful Steel Bridge.” New Mexico True markets it as one of the top tourist destinations in the state, “a draw to visitors from around the world,” and notes how visitors get to peer over its railings into the chasm below and the river that courses through it. But the group of spring break tourists who saw a man jump to his death there this week now know it as most New Mexicans, and all Taos County residents, do: A place where far too many people have taken their own lives over the last 58 years.

We’ve said it here before, but since our state officials continue to neglect this issue, we’re going to keep on repeating it until they get their priorities straight: With railings so low you can run and vault them — leaving virtually no time for a person in distress to question their decision or for a rescuer to intervene — and no suicide deterrant besides crisis phone lines, it remains far too easy to kill yourself at the Gorge Bridge. That can, and must, change. However, the words “Rio Grande Gorge Bridge” are mentioned nowhere in the thousands of documents filed in this year’s legislative session. Not a single bill, memorial, resolution, agenda item, handout, or capital outlay request even bothers to discuss the problem that one of the state’s most popular tourist attractions remains a notorious suicide destination. On the other hand, the words “electric charging station” are mentioned in five pieces of legislation and 20 capital outlay requests this year.

In the last 20 years alone, more than 25 people have died at the Gorge Bridge, traumatizing their families, county residents and putting the first responders tasked with hiking into the gorge to recover their bodies in dangerous situations. On average, 2.5 suicides take place at the bridge every year, contributing to Taos County ranking in with one of the highest suicide rates in the state.

The last time our state reps attempted to address suicides at the bridge was in 2018, when Reps. Roberto “Bobby” Gonzales and Debbie Rodella proposed the state spend $150,000 to pay three state police officers to monitor the 650-foot-high span around the clock. It didn’t pass, and it was a half measure. So was the state’s more recent hiring of a private security company in 2020 to staff the bridge’s parking lot, despite the fact that its staff isn’t equipped to handle a serious mental health crisis. Taos County spent $150,000 to install cameras at the bridge, which will help reduce the number of missing persons cases that result when a jumper’s body isn’t immediately found, but they won’t stop anyone from jumping.

We know based upon studies of other high bridges in the U.S. that physical suicide deterrants work. The New Mexico Department of Transportation knows it, too. In 2019, NMDOT conducted a study that found a higher railing would have the greatest effect in preventing suicides, but years later, nothing has been done to act on that information — not by our governor or any of our state representatives. That’s unconscionable, especially in a year when we have $9.4 billion to play with, and many other initiatives that hold no bearing on life and death are receiving millions of dollars in public funding.

One of New Mexico’s most beautiful destinations and impressive man-made structures has for far too long been overshadowed by one of the darkest, most desperate decisions any human can make. It’s long past time our state did something about it, and we’d encourage all of our readers who feel the same to discuss their own concerns with Sen. Gonzales and our two state representatives, Susan Herrera and Kristina Ortez. You’ll find their numbers listed on Page A9.