HARTFORD — Inside the gift shop next to the Quechee Gorge Bridge, Pam Kendall was pleased to see the new and improved structure finally completed, though she doesn’t agree with every aspect of the design.
“I feel the rails are way too low,” she said of the barrier between the sidewalk and road. Kendall worries those guardrails are wide enough for children to climb and sit on, and if a parent isn’t paying attention, they could fall right into traffic.
Other changes to the bridge over the Ottauquechee River include metal barriers to help prevent death by suicide– a tragedy the popular tourist destination knows all too well.
“If you grew up here and you’re old enough, most people know someone, unfortunately,” said Lt. Will Furnari of the Hartford Police Department. “Every time I drive through, I scan the fence just as a force of habit.”
The upgrades to the bridge overlooking Vermont’s deepest natural canyon are meant to save lives. While suicide calls have increased in Hartford, a police department study found that incidents at the gorge declined since the state put up a temporary chain-link fence in 2018.
Before that fence went up, incidents involving the gorge accounted for about 37% of suicide calls in Hartford. Since it went up, that figure dropped to 10%, according to a report by the department’s Data and Crime Analyst Amie Wunderlich.
Visitors at Quechee Gorge will now find green, steel rails that are over nine feet high and curved at the top, separated by about six inches. With the project complete, locals and tourists alike are experiencing a different version of the landmark for the first time.
A three-year project
Every day, about 9,500 cars drive across the Quechee Gorge Bridge. The last upgrade was back in the 80s, though it undergoes regular maintenance, according to Vermont Department of Transportation project manager JB McCarthy.
The recent work addressed significant deterioration of the structural steel beneath the deck, cleaned and repainted the bridge, expanded its sidewalk and added pedestrian fencing.
The crew widened sidewalks from about 3.5 feet to 6 feet to afford more space. One of the major safety issues was when people would step back to take a picture of the gorge and stand in the travel lane, said McCarthy.
They extended the sidewalks west toward Woodstock and east to the visitor center. McCarthy noted that in the past, tourists were parking on the shoulder and getting out into the travel lane to look at the view.
“It really wasn’t a safe situation,” he said.
The renovations have been in discussion for about a decade. The state installed a chain-link fence and held meetings with the town of Hartford and the Quechee Chamber of Commerce to come up with a permanent safety solution.
The bidding took some time due to the length of the project, but the state awarded it to Harrison and Burrowes, a bridge contractor based out of Glenmont, N.Y., for $22 million.
While the anticipated length of time was two and a half to three years, the crew discovered more steel deterioration than expected, which prolonged the length of the project by six months.
McCarthy noted that before the work began, using the bridge wasn’t a safety risk because it’s inspected every two years. However, the new design is safer for both motorists and pedestrians.
“The bridge is actually stronger now than it was,” said McCarthy, who added that the structure has done well for a bridge designed and built in 1911.
Only one travel lane was open to cross the bridge throughout the construction period, including during winter. The contractor used an automated light system with a camera to monitor queues and change the signals.
“We really didn’t get any complaints from people because of the lights,” said McCarthy, who added that one-lane traffic was the only option, “short of building another separate temporary bridge.”
The cost ended up being about 15-20% higher than expected. It was covered 80% by federal funds and 20% by state funds. McCarthy noted that the cleaning and repainting comprised about half the cost of the project.
On major goal was to lengthen the barrier at the overlook. The railings are currently about 9.5 feet, curved at the top, and difficult to climb over, which was one of the design criteria.
“For years and years and years, there was only a 3.5-foot railing there, and unfortunately, people were using the bridge for suicides.”
What do people think?
Massachusetts resident Kathy Garland has visited the Quechee Gorge bridge three times, before construction, during construction and on Tuesday, with it fully reopened.
“Now it looks absolutely beautiful,” she said. “It’s really pretty.”
As for the new railing, Garland feels it doesn’t obstruct the view and the green paint is a “nice touch.” She and and her husband Dave said the construction seemed worth the effort, especially with the wider sidewalk.
Between the sidewalk and the road are smaller green rails, about one foot high.
“That is not good,” Mugzy Undemir said, pointing to the railing after her six-year-old son started to climb on one of them. Undemier, a first-time visitor, would like to see those lifted up to hip height to be safer.
North Carolina resident Griffin Tracy didn’t plan to stop off in Quechee, but pulled over when he saw the view.
“I can tell it’s new,” Tracy said of the bridge.
Walking across, Tracy said motorists seem to be observant of the crosswalk and that the 35 mile per hour speed limit helps keep it safe for pedestrians.
At Quechee Gorge Gifts & Sportswear, Kendall the manager is glad to see the project finally completed, with more customers coming in, though she thinks the final result could be a bit safer.
Over the past few years, the one-lane traffic made it hard for people to pull in and out of the parking lot right next to the bridge, where the store and a snack bar operate. Kendall believes they lost business from buses parking farther down the road at the visitor center, plus foot traffic when half the sidewalk was closed.
The degree of road traffic depended on the day, but sometimes it took up to 10 minutes to pass through. Kendall recalled being stuck all the way back by Quechee Gorge Village, which is half a mile down the road.
“The lights were terrible, half the cars would run the light just to get through,” said Kendall.
As for the rails preventing people from going over the bridge, Kendall has no problem with those. In her opinion, the construction time was worth upgrading the bridge she started working near eight years ago.
Prevention efforts
William Furnari, who serves as the community outreach lieutenant, has no idea how many people travelled to the bridge and decided not to end their lives. But there is data from every time police showed up to help someone.
Between May 2014 and April 2026, police recorded 79 suicide incidents related to the gorge, with seven resulting in death. The others were attempts or ideations that were communicated to others.
“For as long as I’ve been alive, it’s a place where people have gone and killed themselves,” said Furnari, who added that the best thing to do is make the act more challenging.
Of the total incidents, 48 occurred during the four-year period before the chain-link fence went up, and 29 occurred with the barrier installed. The pre-fence average was about 10.9 per year, and the post-fence average dropped to 4.1 per year.
There is currently a crisis hotline sign by the crosswalk. Since 2018, call boxes that automatically dialed 911 were placed near the bridge with phones, but were removed a couple of months ago.
“They were never intended to last long term,” Furnari said of the phones.
As for the green arched railings, Furnari considers them a balance from an aesthetic perspective and a safety perspective. The curved fence, if nothing else, he said, adds time for police to arrive or for someone to intervene.
“I’m of the opinion that we should do everything we can to save as many lives as we can,” said Furnari.
The most recent suicide occurred during construction. Back in April, a woman got onto the bridge through an open corner and ended her life.
“They’ve addressed that weakness,” said Furnari.
The suicidal ideation at the tourist destination represents a wider trend that’s not unique to the Quechee Gorge. For example, the Piscataqua Bridge on Interstate-95 between Portsmouth, N.H. and Kittery, M.E. saw three suicides in a 24-hour period back in May. While the bridge has suicide hotline signage some have pushed for a physical barrier.
Also this spring, a Massachusetts woman killed her two children, then came to the Quechee Gorge Bridge to take her own life. A family member reported that she “tried to jump off, but couldn’t,” according to WCAX.
Furnari said the gorge’s popularity as a tourist destination means more people are present to intervene or report it.
“We can’t change the geography, so the best thing we can do is make it harder for people to utilize,” said Furnari.
Those struggling or in crisis are encouraged to text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and speak with a trained counselor. Hartford Police has a mental health liaison who can be reached at 802-295-9425.
