Six are dead and 10 others hospitalized after a bridge in Florida spanning over six lanes of traffic collapsed Thursday.
Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said Thursday night the cables on the five-day-old bridge installment had loosened and workers were tightening them when the 950-ton, 175-foot-long structure collapsed.
The cables that suspend the #Miami bridge had loosened & the engineering firm ordered that they be tightened. They were being tightened when it collapsed today. https://t.co/9Uc9EUsDYY
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 16, 2018
The bridge was supposed to open in 2019 to give people a safe way to cross the busy multi-lane road between Florida International University and the students who lived in Sweetwater across the Tamiami Trail highway.
The pedestrian bridge had not yet been opened to the public at the time of collapse.
The university said the $14.2 million bridge was made using an accelerated construction method in order to reduce risks to workers and pedestrians while minimizing traffic disruption. Last year a freshman student crossing the busy highway was killed after being struck by a car.
During the bridge installment ceremony, University President Mark Rosenberg said, “FIU is about building bridges and student safety. This project accomplishes our mission beautifully.”
Police are expected to brief the press on the recovery effort and investigation into what caused the bridge to collapse.
