Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse
 | This article documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (March 2018) |
FIU-Sweetwater University City Bridge | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 25°45′40″N 80°22′22″W / 25.7612°N 80.3728°W |
| Carried | Pedestrian traffic |
| Crossed | Tamiami Trail |
| Locale | Sweetwater, Florida, US |
| Characteristics | |
| Total length | 320 feet (98 m) |
| Longest span | 175 feet (53 m) |
| History | |
| Engineering design by | FIGG Bridge Engineers |
| Constructed by | Munilla Construction Management |
| Construction cost | $14.2 million |
| Collapsed | March 15, 2018 |
| Location | |
 | |
At approximately 1:30 p.m. EDT on March 15, 2018,[1] 175-foot-long (53 m) section of a pedestrian bridge collapsed on the campus of Florida International University in Miami-Dade County, Florida.[2] The 320-foot-long (98 m) bridge was planned to connect the university with Sweetwater, crossing six lanes of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) just west of the intersection with Southwest 109th Avenue.[2] Erected only five days earlier on Saturday, March 10, it had not yet been opened to pedestrian traffic, and the school was on spring break at the time of collapse.[2] The section of the bridge that collapsed weighed 950 short tons (860 t) and fell onto several cars on the roadway below. The number of fatalities and injuries has not yet been determined.[2] At the time of the collapse the bridge was undergoing a stress test with multiple cars stopped at a traffic light under the span.[1][3] Eight cars are reported to have been crushed.
Location and site history
A pedestrian bridge for Florida International University. located on 107 avenue S.W, 8th street[4]
Design and construction
Dubbed the "instant bridge", construction was completed ahead of schedule. It was scheduled to be finished in early 2019, at a cost of $14.2 million.[2] It had been constructed with a modular method developed[5] at FIU, Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC), which was touted to "...significantly reduce the risk to workers, walkers, drivers and minimized traffic disruptions for construction."[2] It was assembled in place beginning at 5 a.m. on March 10, and was completed approximately 5 hours later. It was installed by Munilla Construction Management.[6] The $14.2 million project was funded with a $19.4 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant from the United States Department of Transportation, along with state agencies.[7]
Maintenance and inspection
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Collapse
At approximately 1:30 p.m. EDT on March 15, 2018,[1] 175-foot-long (53 m) section of a pedestrian bridge collapsed on the campus of Florida International University in Miami-Dade County, Florida.[2] The 320-foot-long (98 m) bridge was planned to connect the university with Sweetwater, crossing six lanes of the Tamiami Trail (U.S. 41) just west of the intersection with Southwest 109th Avenue.[2] Erected only five days earlier on Saturday, March 10, it had not yet been opened to pedestrian traffic, and the school was on spring break at the time of collapse.[2] The section of the bridge that collapsed weighed 950 short tons (860 t) and fell onto several cars on the roadway below.
Victims
At the time of the collapse the bridge was undergoing a stress test with multiple cars stopped at a traffic light under the span.[1][8] Eight cars are reported to have been crushed.
Rescue
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Recovery
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Investigation
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Lawsuits
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Impacts on business, traffic, and transportation funding
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Public events and media
needs expansion
Disaster declarations
needs expansion
Replacement bridge
needs expansion
Memorials
needs expansion
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Svrluga, Susan; Siddiqui, Faiz (March 15, 2018). "New pedestrian bridge collapses at Florida International University, crushing eight cars driving underneath". The Washington Post. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Viglucci, Andres; Madan, Monique O.; Hanks, Douglas; Chang, Daniel (March 15, 2018). "FIU pedestrian bridge collapses days after installation; police say multiple deaths, cars trapped". Miami Herald. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Batechelor, Amanda; Suarez, Carlos (March 15, 2018). "Several dead after newly-installed portion of FIU pedestrian bridge collapses". Local 10 News. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Communications, Florida International University - Digital. "Home". www.fiu.edu. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ "Accelerated Bridge Construction program at FIU".
- ^ Zachary Fagenson (March 15, 2018). "Several killed, cars crushed in Florida foot bridge collapse". Reuters. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ "FIU Pedestrian Bridge Construction Using Innovative Approach By Swinging Into Place". CBSLocal. WFOR-TV. March 10, 2018. Retrieved March 15, 2018.
- ^ Batechelor, Amanda; Suarez, Carlos (March 15, 2018). "Several dead after newly-installed portion of FIU pedestrian bridge collapses". Local 10 News. Retrieved March 15, 2018.