Officials approved $2,000,000 more in funding for the Golden Gate Bridge suicide barrier project Friday morning, in an attempt to fill the budget gap.
More than two dozen people kill themselves every year by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge.
"Unfortunately, as suicide rates across the country have risen we, on a regular basis, see people come to the bridge to harm themselves," said Bridge Spokesman Paolo Cosulich-Schwartz.
Cosulich-Schwartz told KCBS Radio that the contractor building the barrier is behind schedule and the project, which was supposed to be done in January, will take two more years.
The board of the Golden Gate Bridge, Highway and Transportation District approved the increase to be used for extra staffing. The money will come from District reserves, bringing the revised total project budget to $194,779,868.
"People out on the bridge, overseeing the work, to ensure that it's done with the safety and quality standards that we expect at the district," said Cosulich-Schwartz. "This includes project oversight and supervision to ensure that the project isn't delayed any further."
That money isn't nearly enough, though, and Cosulich-Schwartz noted that the district may apply for grants or ask the contractor to pick up some of the cost.
A spokesman for the contractor said the District required crews to do work outside of the original agreement, and that has caused the delays.
