Rescue efforts are ongoing in Miami as a newly constructed pedestrian bridge has collapsed near the campus of Florida International University (FIU).  The bridge was designed as a suspension bridge and the span that collapsed over the street was put into place on Saturday morning.  [More on Design Below]  There are numerous casualties and fatalities.

MIAMI – […] The bridge gave way suddenly while the traffic light for motorists on Tamiami Trail was red, so that the concrete span fell on top of a row of stopped vehicles.

[…] The bridge crashed across six lanes of heavily traveled Tamiami Trail, crushing a still undetermined number of cars and killing a still unclear number of people. Police on the scene said at least six people could be dead.The Florida Highway Patrol reported five or six cars were trapped under the bridge. Miami-Dade County police said at least eight cars had been crushed under the walkway, which was not yet open to student traffic.

At least eight people had been 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.

[…] Miami-Dade County Police Chief Juan Perez said he believed there were multiple people trapped. He wouldn’t venture to guess at the number because first responders were having trouble getting to the vehicles. South Florida’s WSVN reported that television news helicopters were ordered to back off so rescuers could listen for sounds from survivors.

The collapse was clearly a major failure of a project not expected to be completed until early 2019. There was no immediate explanation for what might have triggered the collapse, which occurred shortly before 2 p.m.

[…] Designed as a cable-supported bridge, the $14.2 million bridge project was a collaboration between MCM Construction, a prominent Miami-based contractor, and Figg Bridge Design, based in Tallahassee. Figg is responsible for the iconic Skyway bridge across Tampa Bay.

Figg issued a statement Thursday saying the company was “stunned” by the collapse and promising to cooperate with every authority investigating the collapse.

“In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before,” the company’s statement said. “Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved.” (read more with videos)

Here’s the link to the Bridge Contractor “FIGG Bridge Group” – HERE

Here’s the link to the FIU winning contract announcement – HERE

Here’s the CAD Engineering, design animation of finished bridge:

This is a suspension bridge design. Initial reporting, supported by photographs of the scene, indicate the suspension anchors were undergoing a stress test via crane at the time of the collapse. One of the anchors visible in the photograph fractured and failed. The resulting immediate drop of tension pressure created a platform inflection (shock wave) that collapsed the upper section onto the lower section. See picture:

https://twitter.com/Breaking911/status/974350562077626368

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