After a lapse of over six years since a tragic incident that claimed the lives of six individuals, construction has commenced anew on a pedestrian bridge adjacent to the Florida International University campus. This development arrives as a somber reminder of March 15, 2018, the day when the structure, then under construction, met its ill-fated collapse onto Southwest 8th Street in southwest Miami-Dade. The calamity resulted in the deaths of five individuals in their vehicles and one construction worker.
The process to physically mend this open wound in Miami-Dade's infrastructure began yesterday. Officials have announced plans to build a 174-foot-long bridge designed to provide a safe crossing for FIU students and staff between the university's main campus and nearby residential and student housing. Traffic disruptions are expected, with lanes to be adequately closed nightly, and the schedule intending to least impact peak travel hours, according to Local10.
As per a report by NBC Miami, the construction is slated to take approximately two years, during which a memorial plaque is to be installed to honor the memories of Alberto Arias, 53, Brandon Brownfield, 39, FIU student Alexa Duran, 18, Rolando Fraga, 60, his partner Oswaldo Gonzalez, 57, and Navaro Brown, 37, the construction worker who perished in the collapse.
To facilitate the construction, certain road closures near Southwest 109th Avenue and Southwest 8th Street are to be implemented during off-peak hours. On Sundays through Thursdays, the closures will occur from 10 p.m. to 5:30 a.m., and on Fridays and Saturdays, from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Pedestrians who habitually cross on the west side of Southwest Eighth Street and Southwest 109th Avenue will need to quickly adapt to the change as this crosswalk will be removed. They are to be redirected to use the bridge on the east side of Southwest 109th Avenue for safe passage across the canal. Completion of the work is anticipated to be in the summer of 2026.
