NBC 6’s Paxton Boyd has more on plans in place for the new bridge to be reconstructed over three years after the bridge collapsed, killing six people.
The removal of some of the remaining structural elements of the collapsed pedestrian bridge at Florida International University began Monday, as designs for a replacement bridge continue to move forward.
Contractors will be removing structural elements at two locations near FIU for the next six weeks, officials said.
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During the structural removal work on the FIU Campus side, one outside eastbound travel lane on Southwest 8th Street approaching Southwest 109th Avenue will be closed from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for about three weeks. During these closures, three eastbound lanes, and access to and from FIU via East Campus Circle will remain open.
The bridge was under construction when the 950-ton span collapsed onto a busy Miami highway on March 15, 2018, trapping cars that had been stopped at a traffic light underneath. One construction worker and five people sitting in their cars were killed.
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The new bridge will span the same highway, connecting the university's Modesto A. Maidique Campus to the downtown area of a Miami suburb.
The Florida Department of Transportation, Florida International University and the City of Sweetwater are designing the new bridge. Design began in April 2021 and will last approximately two years.
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Construction is expected to begin summer 2023 and last approximately two years.
