A Florida International University pedestrian bridge, still under construction, in the Miami area collapsed Thursday afternoon, trapping an unknown number
A Florida International University pedestrian bridge, still under construction, in the Miami area collapsed Thursday afternoon, trapping an unknown number of people underneath, leading to “multiple patients injured,” according to Miami-Dade Fire Rescue.
Media reports cited the Florida Highway Patrol as saying several people were killed.
Video footage showed the structure collapsed onto a multi-lane highway, crushed vehicles underneath, and several people being loaded into ambulances.
The bridge, whose main span was installed on Saturday, was expected to open to foot traffic early next year, reports The Associated Press.
It was intended to boost student safety, spanning a busy roadway from the university to the city of Sweetwater.
In a Tuesday news release, the university said,
“The 174-foot, 950-ton section of the bridge was built adjacent to Southwest Eight Street using Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) methods, which are being advanced at FIU’s Accelerated Bridge Construction University Transportation Center (ABC-UTC). This method of construction reduces potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions. The main span of the FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity Bridge was installed in a few hours with limited disruption to traffic over this weekend.”
In a now-deleted tweet posted on Tuesday, FIU displayed a photo of the bridge and quoted University President Mark B. Rosenberg as saying, “FIU is about building bridges and student safety. This project accomplishes our mission beautifully.”
Twitter user Billy Corben posted another now-deleted tweet from consulting and manufacturing firm BDI, originally posted on Monday, saying, “We are thrilled to have performed structural monitoring during a spectacular bridge move by #barnhartcrane at #FIU #Miami.”
In Tuesday’s release, the university touted the construction, saying, “The FIU-Sweetwater UniversityCity Bridge is the largest pedestrian bridge moved via Self-Propelled Modular Transportation in U. S. history. It is also the first in the world to be constructed entirely of self-cleaning concrete. When exposed to sunlight, the titanium dioxide in the concrete captures pollutants and turns it bright white, reducing maintenance costs.”
In a statement Thursday FIU said, “We are shocked and saddened about the tragic events unfolding at the FIU-Sweetwater pedestrian bridge. At this time we are still involved in rescue efforts and gathering information.
Munilla Construction Management posted on Facebook, Thursday, “The new UniversityCity Bridge, which was under construction, experienced a catastrophic collapse causing injuries and loss of life. MCM is a family business and we are all devastated and doing everything we can to assist. We will conduct a full investigation to determine exactly what went wrong and will cooperate with investigators on scene in every way.”
White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said President Trump is aware of the bridge collapse and will continue to monitor the situation.
