After what has felt like an eternity of construction barriers, fencing, and restricted walkways, the Golden Gate Bridge's suicide deterrent net is essentially complete — and the final cleanup work is underway.

The net itself has actually been finished for several months now. What remains is the unglamorous but necessary task of removing temporary construction infrastructure, specifically two fencing segments: one on the southern approach between the concrete towers, and another on the walkway around the southern tower. Bridge workers have indicated they'll tackle the western side fencing first.

For anyone who's walked, biked, or driven across the bridge in recent years and wondered what all the construction was about — yes, this is it. As one SF resident put it: "Is this what the construction on the bridge has been for so long? Will both sides be open and without restriction again now?"

The short answer: soon, but not quite yet.

The safety net project, which began construction in 2018, was designed to deter suicides from one of the world's most iconic — and tragic — landmarks. The stainless steel net extends 20 feet out from the bridge on both sides, sitting about 20 feet below the sidewalk. It's a project that virtually no one opposes in principle. The Golden Gate Bridge has seen hundreds of deaths over the decades, and a physical deterrent is a straightforward, proven intervention.

What is worth noting is the timeline. The project was originally estimated for completion in 2023, with a budget of roughly $211 million. It blew past both targets. That's not unique to this project — it's the standard story of Bay Area infrastructure, where costs balloon and timelines stretch like taffy. Even projects with broad public support seem incapable of escaping the gravitational pull of bureaucratic delay.

Still, the end is in sight. Once those last fencing segments come down, pedestrians and cyclists will have full, unobstructed access to both sides of the bridge again. And more importantly, a meaningful safety measure will be fully operational.

Sometimes government gets the what right. It's the how long and how much that keep us up at night.