The pedestrian bridge that collapsed in Florida was designed to make students safer
- A bridge at Florida International University's campus collapsed on Thursday, resulting in multiple injuries and casualties to those who were trapped beneath it.
- The 950-ton bridge, which was set to be completed in 2019, was designed to make it safer for students to travel between FIU's campus and Streetwater, a city where around 4,000 students live.
- The bridge was installed in a single day on Saturday through a method that was supposed to increase safety for workers, pedestrians, and drivers.
A bridge on Florida International University's campus collapsed on Thursday, resulting in multiple injuries and casualties to those who were trapped beneath it.
WSVN reported at least six injuries and The Miami Herald reported multiple deaths as a result of the bridge's collapse.
The 950-ton bridge was designed to make it safer for students to travel between FIU's campus and Streetwater, a city where around 4,000 students live. According to The Miami Herald, students and faculty had asked for a bridge that would span the seven-lane road where a student was killed by a motorist in August.
The bridge was installed in a single day on Saturday after the 174-foot span and support towers were built over several months. The rapid installation method was supposed to increase safety for workers, pedestrians, and drivers.
The bridge was set to be completed in 2019, and was part of a $14.2 million project, paid for by the US Department of Transportation, that would feature sidewalks, a plaza, benches, tables, and Wi-Fi.
Before and after the bridge was installed, MCM Construction, which built the bridge with FIGG Bridge Design, retweeted posts on its Twitter account which alluded to how the bridge and its installation were designed with student safety in mind.
"Student #SafetyFirst !!" one tweet read after the bridge was installed.
