Community Chat

[Montana]

WHDH.com is live streaming a report.

[RoughDraft]

@Annabellethecat66  The bridge is brand new.

[kitcat51]

The pedestrian bridge is less than a week old, cost 9.3 million & it collapes...how could this happen? Prayers to the victims & their loved ones.

[sidsmom]

Miami Herald

The bridge, scheduled to be completed in 2019, collapsed atop an unknown number of people and cars underneath. Police quickly closed the road. It is not known how many people may have been injured in the collapse, which was clearly a major failure of a on-going project not expected to be completed until early 2019.

South Florida’s WSVN reported that several people had been killed. Television news helicopters were ordered to back off so rescuers could listen for sounds from survivors.

At least eight people were transported to the trauma center at Kendall Regional Medical Center, according to a source close to the hospital. The condition of the patients is not yet known. 

Touted as an “instant bridge,” the 950-ton pedestrian walkway was installed in a single morning at Southwest 109th Avenue on Saturday, intended eventually to link Florida International University’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus directly to the small suburban city of Sweetwater, where the university estimates 4,000 of its students live.

Before Saturday’s installation, FIU said the method of overall installation would significantly reduce the risk to workers, walkers, drivers and minimized traffic disruptions for construction.

Designed as a cable-supported bridge, the pedestrian walkway is the product of a collaboration between MCM Construction and FIGG Bridge Design, the firm responsible for the iconic Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay.

MMC’s website noted that a 175-foot section of the overall 320-foot long bridge was prefabricated next to Tamiami Trail and then moved into position.

[luvzchiz]

A witness is talking on CNN now.  He said that the bridge was not opened to foot traffic.  The fatalities and those hurt are those under the bridge. 

Now someone is talking who just walked under the bridge before it collapsed.  He heard a large bang and then saw the bridge down and people screaming.

[meallen616]

[goldensrbest]

Someone did something wrong, in some way with the building of it.

[golding76]

FIU touted the bridge to be a first of its kind, tweeting that it swung into place on Saturday.

According to an FIU press release, the 174-foot, 950-ton bridge was just installed "in a few hours" using "accelerated bridge construction" methods, which the university said "reduces potential risks to workers, commuters, and pedestrians and minimizes traffic interruptions."

In some manner, this "accelerated bridge construction" not only minimized traffic interruptions but also minimized the bridge's integrity.  I wonder how many "practice bridges" have been erected to test this rapid construction and installation. 

[QueenDanceALot]

How terrifying for anyone still alive and trapped.

A nightmare.

[momtochloe]

Here is an FIU article describing the bridge and it's safety:

https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:b7e-atyXu8wJ:https://news.fiu.edu/2018/03/firs...

Here is a tweet that went out a few days ago (and has since been deleted):

Dear God, the pictures of those cars trapped under the bridge.  They had to wave off news choppers so they could listen for any signs of survivors.  Indescribable.  Prayers for those poor souls.