PALMETTO BAY, Fla. – The village of Palmetto Bay confirmed that a special council meeting will be held this week after officials learned that one of the companies involved in the FIU pedestrian bridge collapse was awarded the 87th Avenue bridge contract.
“On Friday, the Village learned that the 87th Avenue bridge contract has been awarded to the company responsible for the tragic FIU pedestrian bridge collapse that claimed six innocent lives,” the village posted to its website. “Regardless of one’s position on the bridge, this is a direct threat to the safety of our families and our community.”
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Mayor Karyn Cunningham called for the special council meeting, which will be held at 7 p.m. Thursday.
“The Village needs your voice in demanding the County Mayor halt this project at once,” the village posted. “By standing together, we can protect our homes, our families, and our future from this reckless project. More information about the Special Council meeting will be provided on our website and our social media outlets. Please stay tuned.”
The FIU bridge collapsed on March 15, 2018, as it was still under construction. A section splintered just outside Florida International University’s main campus in Miami-Dade.
The bridge crossed over Southwest Eighth Street, which remained open during the construction, and aimed to connect the southern area of the city of Sweetwater with University Park.
Federal investigators determined the probable cause of the deadly collapse was related to engineers’ calculation errors, according to a National Transportation Safety Board report.
The Louis Berger Group peer review failed to detect the load and capacity calculation errors by Tallahassee-based FIGG Bridge Engineers, according to the NTSB report.
Investigators also reported that FIGG failed to identify the significance of the structural cracking observed before the collapse and to obtain an independent peer review of the remedial plan to address the cracking.
Munilla Construction Management was another company involved with the construction of the bridge. It has since been rebranded as Magnum Construction Management.
It responded to the mayor and councilmembers in a letter shared with Local 10 News:
"Dear Mayor Cunningham and Members of the Village Council,
I am writing on behalf of my client, MCM, whom I represent before Miami Dade County, in response to the recent email sent by the Village of Palmetto Bay on August 4, 2024, regarding the 87th Avenue Bridge project. We respectfully request that the Village of Palmetto Bay retract the erroneous statements made in its email.
The Village tried to stop the bridge when it was originally considered, and while its position was carefully evaluated, the County Commission decided this project was in the public’s best interest. Thereafter, MCM won this project thru an open public bidding competition and it is presently under construction. Most respectfully, casting aspersions on MCM integrity and capabilities, is not right.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) conducted a thorough investigation into the unfortunate collapse of the FIU pedestrian bridge, which lasted nearly two years and included the review of four different 24/7 video recordings of the project, from four different camera angles, culminating in a comprehensive 140-page report. The NTSB determined that the collapse was due to a design error, not a construction error. At no point did the NTSB attribute responsibility for the collapse to MCM. It is crucial to set the record straight and avoid spreading misinformation that could unjustly harm MCM’s standing and its employees.
For your information, since the tragic collapse, MCM has successfully completed multiple projects for the Florida Department of Transportation and Miami-Dade County, including the construction and/or refurbishment of 14 bridges.
We trust that the Village will take the necessary steps to correct its factually incorrect statements and going forward you will uphold the integrity of public communications."
Eric Zichella Principal, P3 Management on behalf of MCM