What the Helen of Troy is This

Tons of Folks still asking about the Taft Bridge Fencing – Suicide Prevention Installation Ongoing


Calvert and Connecticut Ave, NW connecting Woodley Park and Kalorama towards Dupont Circle

I’ve been getting tons of messages asking about the temporary fencing currently up at the Taft Bridge:

On October 1st we shared from DDOT:

“The District Department of Transportation (DDOT), with active support from the Department of Behavioral Health (DBH) and the Executive Office of the Mayor (EOM), is proposing the Connecticut Avenue NW/ William Howard Taft Memorial Bridge (Taft Bridge) Pedestrian Railing Improvement Project. Data from the District of Columbia’s Chief Medical Examiner’s Office indicates that 13 (50%) of the 26 bridge-related fatalities recorded in the District of Columbia between January 1, 2010 and January 1, 2022, occurred from the Taft Bridge. The presence of an effective barrier system will reduce the potential for such incidents. The project proposes a new pedestrian railing design that incorporates the existing features of the Taft Bridge to minimize impact to the historic fabric of the bridge and is compatible with the aesthetics of the bridge and its setting.”

Update: You can see renderings here. Scroll down. Not exactly like the Ellington bridge (below) except for the green color:

“If you need help or know someone who does, please call the national Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. In D.C., you can also call the city’s 24-hour mental health hotline at 1-888-793-4357.“