Renovation to Rivermont Avenue bridge to include fencing

A major renovation to the Rivermont Avenue bridge will include a safety fence more than six feet high designed in part to deter future deaths.

The bridge, a heavily trafficked artery rising well over 100 feet off the ground, has been a high-profile site for suicides.

The body of a Campbell County teacher was found below the bridge in September.

Colleagues of the man said he was a suicide victim. Lynchburg police have declined to confirm that and said earlier this week an autopsy is still pending.

The Rivermont bridge has been the scene of at least five confirmed suicides over the past four decades, as well as numerous more attempts.

The four-lane structure is currently slated for a $5.6 million renovation aimed at correcting defects such as cracks, misalignments and a faulty drainage system.

The plans also call for a 6-foot, 4-inch fence the city hopes will deter further suicides — although officials are quick to point out it is not intended to be infallible and hesitate to call it a fence at all.

A status update made to City Council earlier this week described the tall fencing as a “railing” and emphasized its aesthetic and historical value.

The envisioned fence has an old-fashioned design, in keeping with the historical nature of the area, and will be made of either black wrought iron or a similar material.

Officials opted for the more handsome design due to the bridge’s placement as a prominent gateway to downtown.

Other possibilities that have been mentioned but quickly discarded over the years include chain-link fencing. The city, spurred on by community advocates, has been sporadically discussing the prospect of a Rivermont bridge fence for at least 27 years.

The status report made during a council meeting Tuesday did not allude to the safety benefits of the fence, but officials acknowledged that aspect of the project in subsequent discussion.

“I want to make clear suicide was a part of the consideration in this bridge design,” said Councilman Mike Gillette, Ward I. “I don’t want anyone out there thinking the city ignored that particular issue.”

Gillette also said, however, “It should be made clear the railing design can be defeated by a determined jumper. If someone wants to commit suicide, they are going to find a way.”

The city consulted with the Lynchburg Depressive Disorders Association, as well as the Friends of Rivermont advocacy group, during the bridge’s design phase.

LDDA founder Bob Poignant felt the proposed fence was inadequate.

He said it could be scaled too easily and would not prevent people from throwing objects off the bridge and striking pedestrians on the Blackwater Creek Trail below, another safety issue raised by concerned community members.

“They should be able to come up with something that meets both aesthetic and safety concerns,” Poignant said.

Poignant preferred another fence design altogether, but suggested making some revisions to the current model — including raising the height and narrowing the distance between the rails — would improve it.

The city never responded to his comments, he said Wednesday.

City officials expect to begin soliciting bids for the bridgework in the next one to two months. Construction is slated to begin in early spring and finish December 2010.

The cost of the project is being funded through a combination of local, state and federal dollars. The local share comes to about $2 million, all but $800,000 of which has been appropriated.

City staff plans to seek the remaining money in the coming year’s budget. The renovations are expected to get the bridge through the next 50 years.