FIU Pedestrian Bridge Collapses In Miami Days After Being Installed

The Florida International University pedestrian bridge across Southwest Eighth Street in Miami collapsed Thursday afternoon, trapping an unknown number of people underneath.The bridge is located on the intersection of SW Eighth Street and SW 109th Avenue.Miami-Dade Fire Rescue is at the scene and has requested that residents avoid the area of Tamiami Trail and 107 avenue until further notice. It has confirmed that there are "multiple patients injured."The bridge was installed at Southwest 109th Avenue Saturday morning, intended eventually to provide pedestrian access across Tamiami Trail from FIU's main campus to Sweetwater, where thousands of students live in off-campus housing or in FIU's newer dorms. MCM Construction and FIGG Bridge Design collaborated on the $14.2 million cable-supported bridge. Details about the bridge from a press release about its opening:- 174 feet long- Was put in place on March 10, 2018.- Weight - 950 tons- Largest pedestrian bridge move via Self-Propelled Modular Transportation, in U.S. history, according to senior project manager Rodrigo Isaza, from MCM, which partnered with FIGG Bridge Engineers to design and build the bridge.Before Saturday's installation, FIU said the method of overall installation significantly reduced the risk to workers, walkers, drivers and minimized traffic disruptions for construction. Copyright 2018 WLRN 91.3 FM. To see more, visit WLRN 91.3 FM.