Martina Bretous/Editor-in-Chief
Following the bridge collapse on Thursday, March 15 that caused 6 fatalities, including one FIU female student, an investigation into how the structure failed has begun both internally at the University and externally with the National Transportation Safety Board and Miami-Dade Police.
At around 1:30 p.m. on Thursday, Miami-Dade Fire Rescue was notified that the newly-installed 950-ton section of the $14.2 million pedestrian bridge at SW 8th St. and SW 109th Ave. had collapsed, trapping eight vehicles under it, as confirmed by Fire Rescue.
Witness and senior FIU student Cassandra Cabal was at the red light heading south on 8th street, under the 109th ave red light, when the bridge collapsed a few seconds before she passed under it.
“I was there for about 10 minutes in shock, and next thing I know the place was flooded with ambulances and cops,” Cabal said. “Thankfully, help came right away.”
Cabal was leaving the Modesto Maidique Campus after a project on campus and heading to work when the incident happened.
The Miami Herald reported Alexa Duran as the first victim identified after the collapse. The 18-year-old political science student was driving with her friend, Richard Humble, in the passenger seat when the bridge collapsed, falling mostly on the driver’s side, said Humble.
Humble was able to get out of the car — he sustained a few injuries but is stable, according to the Miami Herald article.
Names of the other victims have not been released as officials want to confirm the identities of the victims and contact their families beforehand.
A family re-unification center was set up at FIU’s Modesto Maidique Campus at the Student Academic Success Center for families concerned their loved ones might have been affected by the collapse. The number is 305-348-3481.
Five days before the incident, on Saturday, March 10, the 950-ton part of the bridge linking the University to Sweetwater was “swung” over using Self-Propelled Modular Transporters, a relatively-new technology used during the construction. The University stated that the modular construction method would reduce potential risks to workers, commuters and pedestrians, while minimizing traffic interruptions.
South Florida firm, Munilla Construction Management, beat out three other finalists in a bid to build the bridge, as part of “UniversityCity Alliance,” a project that started back in 2010 to connect University life with surrounding communities.
MCM then partnered with FIGG Bridge Engineers. However, both firms were previously under investigation for unsafe safety measures.
In 2016, MCM was accused of “shoddy work” when a makeshift bridge at a Fort Lauderdale Airport collapsed and injured a worker, according to the Miami New Times.
In 2012, The Virginia Pilot reported that the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry fined FIGG a total of $28,000 for four violations, one of them because the firm didn’t get a manufacturer’s written consent before it modified a girder used during construction, which ultimately failed and caused a 90-ton piece of concrete to collapse.
Some question why, knowing this information, the University collaborated with these firms for the bridge construction. President Mark Rosenberg said during a press conference that they are conducting their own investigation to answer these questions.
Another possible red flag was highlighted by the Florida Department of Transportation who stated the University failed to meet their contractual obligation to employ an FDOT pre-qualified firm to build the bridge.
“Under the terms of the procurement issued by FIU and due to the unique characteristics of the design of the bridge, an independent, secondary design check was required. Under this project, it is the responsibility of FIU’s design build team to select the firm used to conduct the independent, secondary review,” Dick Kane, communications director at FDOT stated in an email to local media. “The firm selected, Louis Berger, was not FDOT pre-qualified for this service, which is required under FIU’s agreement with the state. FIU’s design build team is responsible for selecting a pre-qualified firm and ensuring this process is followed.”
Officials say criminal charges are not being considered at the moment. All efforts are focused on recovery as bodies and vehicles remain trapped under the fallen bridge, as of Friday, March 16.
Theories surrounding the cause of the collapse included an engineering failure — according to construction workers on scene, said Miami Herald reporter, Monique Madan— and a stress test, said Mayor Carlos Gimenez.
Senator Marco Rubio tweeted:
The cables that suspend the #Miami bridge had loosened & the engineering firm ordered that they be tightened. They were being tightened when it collapsed today. https://t.co/9Uc9EUsDYY
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 16, 2018
However, during a press conference held on Friday, March 16, deputy mayor Maurice Kemp and Juan Perez, Miami-Dade Police director, said they could not confirm those claims as the investigation is still ongoing.
Late Thursday night, around 10 p.m., 15 members of the National Transportation Safety Board arrived to start their investigation into what caused the collapsed and did a general walkthrough. Robert Sumwalt III, chairman of NTSB, says they hold expertise in civil engineering, material science and human factors.
“We are here, we are an independent federal agency charged by Congress to investigate transportation accidents, determine the cause and make recommendations so that something like this doesn’t happen in the future,” he said. “We are working with the local officials but we are conducting an independent investigation that is not in any way related to any federal charges.”
The NTSB and Miami-Dade PD implore anyone who has footage of the collapse when it happened to contact them at witness@ntsb.com to aid in their investigation.
Miami-Dade Police says the area on 8th street between 117th ave and 107th is closed indefinitely and have set up a detour for drivers which is on Coral Way. With the Youth Fair maintaining its pre-set schedule, some students worry about traffic in and around campus.
In an email to students late Thursday night, President Rosenberg said shuttles will run from Lot 3 in front of the SASC and 4th Commons, an off-campus apartment complex in Sweetwater.
He ended the email by highlighting the efforts of FIU doctors, nurses and medical students who rushed to help when the bridge collapsed.
“There will be more difficult days ahead, but even as we mourn and reflect, there is still goodness and hope in this world,” he said.
FIU Student Media will continue to update this story on PantherNOW.com as more information becomes available. Maytinee Kramer also contributed to this report.
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