Authorities have closed New Mexico’s Rio Grande Gorge Bridge to pedestrians after a surge in suicides, as they explore options for installing fencing or nets to prevent further deaths.
In the past three weeks, three people have jumped from the bridge, adding to a record number of fatalities at the landmark this year. Taos County deputies announced the indefinite closure after recovering the body of a local 15-year-old on Sunday, marking the sixth suicide at the bridge in 2025.
Earlier incidents include a 60-year-old U.S. Army veteran with PTSD who drove from San Antonio, Texas, to the bridge on September 5, and a man from Albuquerque whose body was recovered three days prior. The steel-arch bridge, 1,280 feet long and 600 feet above the Rio Grande, has long drawn tourists and tragically, individuals seeking to end their lives, as the fall is fatal.
Sheriff Steve Miera said the closure is a temporary measure until barriers can be installed to prevent suicides. “This is a start,” he said, adding that pedestrian access will resume only once effective safety measures are in place.
Suicide prevention advocates say current railings, just four feet high, make it too easy to jump. Ashley Roessler, founder of the New Mexico Fight for Life Foundation, emphasized the need for barriers, noting that even minor deterrents can save lives.
Other U.S. bridges have seen success with nets and barriers. A net at San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge reduced suicides by 73% in 2024, while Tampa’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge saw fatalities drop from 12–15 per year to about three after an 11-foot net was added in 2021.
The Rio Grande Gorge Bridge already has crisis call boxes, which were upgraded earlier this year. A 2018 study found the bridge would need reinforcement to support fencing or nets. New Mexico Transportation Secretary Rick Serna said an updated evaluation is underway, and in the meantime, the number of security guards on the bridge has been increased from two to three.
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