What to Know
- FDOT is planning to design and build a new pedestrian bridge at FIU
- A pedestrian bridge collapsed in 2018, killing 6 people
- Design will begin in early 2021 and is expected to last two years, officials said
More than two years after the collapse of a pedestrian bridge near Florida International University killed six people, the Florida Department of Transportation said it's working on plans for another bridge.
FDOT announced plans Wednesday to design and build the "much-needed" bridge over Southwest 8th Street with help from the National Transportation Safety Board.
"FDOT has learned valuable lessons since the tragic events surrounding the FIU bridge collapse two years ago. The Department has worked closely with the NTSB and local partners to ensure proactive safety measures are included in the plans for this much-needed bridge," Florida Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin J. Thibault said in a statement. "The Department will ensure all safety measures are in place and are followed so we may provide a safe option for pedestrians in this high-traffic area."
On March 15, 2018, a 174-foot-long pedestrian bridge collapsed while under construction, killing six.
NTSB officials later concluded the design firm underestimated the load of the bridge and overestimated its strength in a critical section that splintered.
Local
Design will begin in early 2021 and is expected to last two years, officials said. FDOT will coordinate with FIU regarding aesthetics for the bridge.
Construction of the replacement bridge will take approximately two years.
FIU officials said they have been coordinating with FDOT and the City of Sweetwater on the plans for the bridge.
"We look forward to working collaboratively with FDOT and the City of Sweetwater on the new bridge to help keep our students safe," FIU said in a statement. "We will look for an appropriate way to memorialize the victims of the 2018 accident."
