![]() city leaders including ANC commissioner Kathy Henderson and Councilmember Vincent Gray have called for an investigation to fully understand why the bridge collapse after being struck. ![]() DC Fire and EMS also said two people were evaluated but not taken to hospitals.ĭ.C. Their injuries are not considered life-threatening. The City of Sweetwater referred Florida 24 to FDOT.įIU has not responded to multiple requests.Five people who were in cars nearby were taken to hospitals with injuries, Geldart said. “It’s a requirement and I think if they follow that, I think we will be okay," Orlando said.įlorida 24 did reach out to both FIU and the City of Sweetwater about the plans for the bridge. So, if they are saying there will be detours,” Gina added, “and closures at every phase is a must.” “All we want from our point of view is that the roads are closed during work. Orlando said they want to ensure that what happened to their little girl doesn’t happen again. The Durans said they have been asked to give their input on plans by FDOT, which they hope to continue doing. According to FDOT, construction is set to begin in early 2024 and last two years. The whole project costs roughly $18 million. The new crosswalk will feature USB charging stations, Wi-Fi and security cameras. Once construction is completed, FIU will own, maintain and operate the pedestrian bridge. In this new project, with design set to be completed in July of this year, FDOT will manage the project’s design and construction while FIU and the City of Sweetwater remain local partners. If something is wrong with the bridge, go check it out, don’t wait until the bridge falls again. Nobody should be walking under or over or anything. “It could be metal, it could cement, it could be made of paper, but the main point of this construction is so this doesn’t happen again," Orlando said. With that all being said, Alexa's family wants safety to be at the forefront of this process. The agency also emphasized that "road closures and detours will be implemented as needed during construction.” The bridge will also be “constructed using conventional methods done in phases,” as opposed to the "accelerated construction" done previously. According to FDOT, this new design will be made of traditional steel girders. You cannot bring lives again.”īut the Florida Department of Transportation promises this time will be different.įor one, the original bridge was constructed of pure cement. Whatever you do, should this bridge collapse, it would not be an issue if the road is closed,” shared Orlando. The collapse killed six people, including Alexa.įederal transportation investigators had cited design flaws as the likely reason for the failure and that contractors should have never been conducting repairs while traffic on the busy eighth street continued. “And she said, 'Okay, I love you,' and at 1:47, she hung up. I will see you in a little bit,” Gina said. “I spoke to her at 1:47, and she said, 'Mommy, I’m running late. Her daughter, a freshman studying political science, was waiting at a traffic light the day repairs were being made. She said she knew those working on the bridge had found cracks in the structure. Orlando and Gina Duran lost their daughter Alexa during the FIU bridge collapse on March 15, 2018.Īt the time, Orlando was in London while Gina was keeping updated with the bridge’s construction. Now, The Florida Department of Transportation has unveiled new plans to create a new bridge. It's been more than five years since the deadly collapse of the Florida International University pedestrian bridge.
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