SAN FRANCISCO (NEWSnet/AP) — Since its opening in 1937, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has been a common destination for suicide as people decide to take fatal jumps off the bridge.

After decades of discussion on preventing or deterring such acts, a solution seems to be in the works.

On Wednesday, crews installed stainless-steel nets on both sides of the 1.7-mile bridge called suicide-prevention barriers.

A group of parents who lost their children to suicide have been advocating for a solution for nearly two decades but were met with resistance from people who didn't want to alter the iconic landmark.

The nets — placed 20 feet from the bridge’s deck — are not visible from cars crossing the bridge. But pedestrians standing by the rails can see them. They were built with marine-grade stainless steel that can withstand the harsh environment, including salt water, fog and strong winds that often envelop the striking orange structure at the mouth of the San Francisco Bay.

As the project neared completion in 2023, the number of people who jumped fell from an annual average of 30 to 14.

The nets are meant to deter a person from jumping and curb the death rate of those who still do, though they will likely be badly injured.

Nearly 2,000 people have plunged to their deaths since the bridge opened in 1937.

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