NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. — As South Carolina lawmakers prepare to return to Columbia, state Rep. Wendell Gilliard is calling for stronger suicide-prevention measures on overpasses and bridges across the Lowcountry.
Gilliard, a Democrat who represents District 111, recently introduced a joint resolution requesting a cost analysis from the South Carolina Department of Transportation to expand safety barriers, nets and signage at high-risk locations.
“When we talk about people’s mental capacity, it’s a serious situation here in the state of South Carolina,” Gilliard said.
A barrier was recently installed along one side of the Weber Street interchange in North Charleston, but the opposite side remains unprotected — something advocates say highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach.
Gilliard said partial measures are not enough.
“All of them should have safety nets from my perspective, because if we are going to do it, we have to do it right,” he said, noting that many other states use multiple layers of protection, including full enclosures.
Mental health advocates say even small barriers can make a life-saving difference.
“To know you have resources, to know that you’re not alone, can be the difference for that person,” said Laura Moss, executive director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness South Carolina. She emphasized the importance of signage displaying resources such as the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
Advocates say suicide attempts are often impulsive, and physical barriers can interrupt that moment.
“It creates a pause,” Moss said. “It puts a means between the person in crisis and them ending their life.”
Gilliard said mental health remains one of the state’s most pressing issues and believes the proposed safeguards are a responsible use of taxpayer dollars.
“That’s my responsibility and my peers’ responsibility in Columbia,” he said. “Hopefully, this study will be completed so we can appropriate money toward this.”
Gilliard said he expects bipartisan support once the cost study is finalized.
NAMI South Carolina has also launched a public input initiative, allowing residents to suggest locations for 988 signage through a QR code, including areas beyond bridges and overpasses.
If you or someone you know is struggling, help is available by calling or texting 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, which operates 24 hours a day
