This is horrible! I have to say, the big dig that happened in Boston that you all paid for had a lot of issues with the integrity of the structure come to find out a large local concrete company sold recycled concrete to the State. Interestingly enough a friend of mine is married to a guy whose Ex wife is the daughter of the CEO of that concrete company. And the company that worked on the FIU bridge did some work on the big dig. Not saying it's related, just some little factoids.
Report: Several killed in pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University
Associated Press Thursday, March 15, 2018
Emergency personnel respond to a collapsed pedestrian bridge at Florida International University on Thursday, March 15, 2018, in the Miami area. The brand-new pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a highway crushing several vehicles. (Roberto Koltun/Miami Herald via AP)
Credit: AP
Emergency personnel respond to a collapsed pedestrian bridge at Florida International University on Thursday, March 15, 2018, in the Miami area. The brand-new pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a highway crushing several vehicles. (Roberto Koltun/Miami Herald via AP)
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Emergency personnel respond to a collapsed pedestrian bridge at Florida International University on Thursday, March 15, 2018, in the Miami area. The brand-new pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a highway crushing several vehicles. (Roberto Koltun/Miami Herald via AP)In this frame from video, emergency personnel work at the scene of a collapsed bridge in the Miami area, Thursday, March 15, 2018. (WPLG-TV via AP)
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Several killed in bridge collapse at Florida college
Reuters
MIAMI — A new pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a highway at a Miami-area college Thursday, crushing at least five vehicles under massive slabs and killing several people, authorities said.
Several people were seen being loaded into ambulances and authorities launched search and rescue missions. Florida Highway Patrol Lt. Alejandro Camacho told CBS News that there were "several fatalities."
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Emergency personnel responds to a collapsed pedestrian bridge at Florida International University on Thursday, March 15, 2018 in the Miami area. The brand-new pedestrian bridge collapsed onto a highway crushing at least five vehicles. Several people were seen being loaded into ambulances and authorities said they were searching for people. (Daniel A. Varela/The Miami Herald via AP)
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Miami-Dade Fire Rescue tweeted that "multiple" people were injured when the Florida International University bridge collapsed. Authorities said they were working on confirming the numbers. The bridge was still under construction and expected to open to foot traffic next year.
"We are shocked and saddened about the tragic events unfolding at the FIU-Swee****er pedestrian bridge. At this time we are still involved in rescue efforts and gathering information," the statement said.
The $14.2 million bridge crossed over a busy seven-lane highway that divided the university's campus from the city of Swee****er. The 950-ton span was installed on Saturday to great fanfare. The main part of the 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the road and had to be moved into place. The "accelerated bridge construction" method was supposed to reduce risks to workers and pedestrians and minimize traffic disruption, the university said.
"FIU is about building bridges and student safety. This project accomplishes our mission beautifully," FIU President Mark B. Rosenberg said in the statement Saturday.
The National Transportation Safety Board sent investigators to the scene. Gov. Rick Scott tweeted that he was headed there as well.
White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president was monitoring the situation and would offer whatever support was needed.
Cristina Rodriguez, a 23-year-old junior who was on spring break with other students, said she was not surprised when she heard the bridge collapsed.
"I just felt the bridge was done too quickly to believe the bridge was stable and sound to support everything that was on there," said Rodriguez, who was not on campus Thursday but drives through the intersection almost daily.
MCM, the Miami-based construction management firm that won the bridge contract, took its website down on Thursday. But an archived version of the website featured a news release touting the project.
"This our first Design-Build with FIGG Bridge Engineers, a nationally acclaimed, award-winning firm based out of Tallahassee. FIGG has designed iconic bridges all over the country, including Boston's famous Leonard P. Zakim Bridge and Florida's Sunshine Skyway Bridge."
MCM said on twitter that it was "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."
FIGG said in a statement it was "stunned by today's tragic collapse."
"In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before. Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved."
Rep. Mario Diaz-Balart, who spoke at a ceremony celebrating the bridge's construction over the weekend, told CBS there were going to be a lot of questions that have to be answered about what happened.
"Right now the most important thing is going to be to save people who are hopefully still alive," he said.
Florida International University is the second-largest university in the state, with 55,000 students. Most of its students live off-campus. The bridge was supposed to be a safe way to cross a busy street and a plaza-like public space with seating where people could gather.
In August 2017, a university student was killed crossing the road that the bridge was supposed to span.
Florida International University is also home to the National Hurricane Center.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
How terrible! Holy crap. People are going to jail over this one.
They sure are, it is definitely poor quality structure, probably in the metal that supports the bridge or in the design. Many people went to jail for the big Dig in Boston.
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Sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug.
"The $14.2 million bridge crossed over a busy seven-lane highway that divided the university's campus from the city of Swee****er. The 950-ton span was installed on Saturday to great fanfare. The main part of the 174-foot span was assembled by the side of the road and had to be moved into place. The "accelerated bridge construction" method was supposed to reduce risks to workers and pedestrians and minimize traffic disruption, the university said."
That just sounds like it is going to go bad. Who the hell had that bright idea?
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LawyerLady
I can explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you.
Apparently one of the lead engineers left voicemails for the county saying there were cracks which needed to be addressed right away but did not feel it was a safety issue. Those voicemails were not heard until after the collapse.
I understand that the bridge went up in less than a week. It was pre-fabbed and installed. Some sort of new design. Ugh.
