Contractor: Golden Gate Bridge suicide net will cost $400M
The lead contractors in charge of building a suicide prevention net on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge say it will cost more than double its original price because of deterioration on the bridge that was concealed and other problems
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A suicide prevention net on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge that is already years behind schedule will cost about $400 million, more than double its original price, because of problems sparked by the government agency that manages the span, the lead contractors allege.
The allegations filed Monday in state court by Shimmick Construction Co. and Danny’s Construction Co. say that changes to and flaws in the government's net design and the lack of transparency about the deterioration of the bridge's maintenance platforms have raised the construction price from $142 million to at least $398 million.
"We were alarmed to discover the District concealed significant information during the proposal phase of the Project, including extensive deterioration in certain areas of the bridge," Shimmick said in a statement.
The project aims to add 20-foot-wide (6-meter-wide) stainless steel mesh nets on both sides of the 1.7-mile (2.7-kilometer) bridge and replace maintenance platforms used by bridge workers that were built in the 1950s. Work on the net began in 2018 and was set to be completed by January 2021 but has been repeatedly delayed.
