Why did FIU take so long to announce bridge reconstruction?

Ruth Santana | Staff Writer

FIU has swept discussions to build a new bridge under the rug and students are just finding out about it now.

From the rubble rises a new design for an FIU Bridge over SW 8th St. After keeping discussions hushed, FIU has announced that construction to build a new bridge will begin Oct. 8.

Due to the construction of more off-campus student housing and the influx of students attending FIU, I understand this is a necessary project for the university, but I have my speculations. 

A 22-story, student housing building with 932 units, and 647 parking spaces is set to be completed towards the end of 2024. Terrazul was completed in 2024, Lapis finished construction in 2023 and The One was built in 2020. 

This coupled with FIU’s enrollment going up 113% during the 2022-23 school year shows that some changes need to be made to ensure student safety. 

I understand the appeal of building a new bridge but it seems wrong to not include students in the matter before deciding to build it—considering this is for students. 

It is a controversial topic that needs to be discussed, not shoved under the rug.

The last bridge that was built was a pedestrian path that collapsed and killed six people including FIU student Alexa Duran. It was truly a tragic day for FIU and its students. So why would the school choose to keep the decision under wraps?

Lauren Anderson, a Criminal Justice major class of 2026, echoed some of the same concerns, “I didn’t know about it, but I think it could be a good thing… not announcing seems disrespectful to the families, but on the one hand it is safer for students.” 

Anderson’s main concern with this new bridge is the ongoing maintenance it’ll require. 

“Yeah I mean if it collapsed once that is enough to raise concerns because that means it wasn’t done correctly or they didn’t maintain it, so obviously if they are going to build it again they should be on top of that,” Anderson said. 

Nicole Azqueta, a Speech Pathology major class of 2025, had the same safety concerns.

She said “I think the new bridge will bring new innovation, but there are a lot of safety concerns due to what happened a few years ago.” 

When asked about the decision to build the bridge she said “they should have said it with time, because a lot of people grieved and lost people. They should think of the students and how they feel.”

She also said her concerns on how the construction will affect commuting students, “We don’t know how long it’s going to take so it’s definitely going to affect traffic especially if they do more safety checks and close down the roads, so it’s definitely going to affect a lot of people.”

President Kenneth Jessell released an email on Sep.17 to students and faculty stating that bridge reconstruction is expected to take two years— what does that mean for commuters?

I do think the bridge is a necessity for students who live in off-campus housing and walk from their apartments to their classes. It will reduce the number of almost-accidents between pedestrians and reckless drivers. 

BCC Engineering is in charge of the redesign and DeMoya Highway Infrastructure will be building it. It is said to include gathering spaces, WiFi, outlets and balconies over the canal. 

Though it sounds great, safety is of the utmost importance and I don’t blame students for being skeptical due to past events — I am too. 

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