Florida Bridge Collapse Kills Several People At FIU

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A pedestrian bridge on the campus of Miami’s Florida International University collapsed on Thursday, resulting in multiple fatalities. The Florida Highway Patrol is telling media outlets that several people were killed in the Florida bridge collapse. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue transported at least eight people to an area hospital.

Florida bridge collapse

Aerial pictures from the scene of the Florida bridge collapse reveal first responders taking care of victims and rummaging through the rubble in search of survivors. Several people were being loaded into ambulances at the scene, and the Florida Highway Patrol reports that five or six vehicles were crushed when the bridge collapsed.

At this time, it’s still unclear exactly how many people were injured and killed in the Florida bridge collapse. The company which designed the bridge, FIGG Bridge Engineers, told the Miami New Times that it didn’t have any information about it. The bridge wasn’t supposed to be opened up to pedestrian traffic until 2019. The bridge that collapsed crosses over busy 8th St., which connects downtown Miami with the Everglades.

It’s still unclear what caused the Florida bridge collapse.

Was a new building technique to blame for Florida bridge collapse?

The bridge that collapsed was new, according to local media reports out of the Miami area. In fact, it was just put up at 109th Ave. and 8th St. on the campus of Florida International University on Saturday. Workers built it by the side of the road before shifting it into place this past weekend, the Miami Herald reports. The bridge was constructed to link the university’s north entrance with Sweetwater, campus publication PantherNow reported recently. Some students who spoke to the university publication seemed excited that the bridge was being built.

The bridge weighs about 950 tons, stretches 275 feet, and was built using a newer bridge-building technology, according to the local CBS affiliate. The technique that was used in constructing the bridge was supposed to reduce possible risks for those walking on it and driving under it while also keeping traffic from getting tied up at that intersection. A federal grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation paid $14.2 million to build the bridge, CNN reports, citing a fact sheet from Florida International University.

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