Collapsed Miami bridge was built by construction firms accused of safety violations


The construction firms tasked with building a pedestrian bridge in Florida that collapsed Thursday previously garnered legal trouble for shoddy safety practices that put people at risk, the Miami New Times reports. The incident Thursday, where a pedestrian walkway collapsed at Florida International University in Miami, led to "multiple" deaths, authorities have said.
The bridge collapsed atop an eight-lane highway, crushing cars and sending at least six people to the hospital. Officials have not yet confirmed the number of people killed by the fall of the bridge, which was installed just days ago.
Two major construction firms involved with the bridge — Munilla Construction Management and FIGG Bridge Group — have been accused of unsafe practices. The Miami New Times reports that a local airport employee filed a lawsuit last week after an MCM-constructed bridge "broke under [his] weight." The employee's lawyer says he suffered "multiple broken bones" due to MCM's "shoddy work."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
FIGG, meanwhile, was hit with a major fine from the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry after a 90-ton section of concrete fell 40 feet onto train tracks below a bridge construction site. Only minor injuries were reported, but officials found that the company had violated safety laws in the construction.
MCM tweeted a response to Thursday's events, announcing it would conduct an investigation into "exactly what went wrong." FIGG issued its own statement saying that the company was "stunned" by the collapse.
The FIU project was touted as an "instant bridge," constructed using "accelerated bridge construction," which allows components to be assembled alongside the highway to reduce installation time. Read more at the Miami New Times.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Summer Meza has worked at The Week since 2018, serving as a staff writer, a news writer and currently the deputy editor. As a proud news generalist, she edits everything from political punditry and science news to personal finance advice and film reviews. Summer has previously written for Newsweek and the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, covering national politics, transportation and the cannabis industry.
-
Book reviews: 'America, América: A New History of the New World' and 'Sister, Sinner: The Miraculous Life and Mysterious Disappearance of Aimee Semple McPherson'
Feature A historian tells a new story of the Americas and the forgotten story of a pioneering preacher
-
Another messaging app used by the White House is in hot water
The Explainer TeleMessage was seen being used by former National Security Adviser Mike Waltz
-
AI hallucinations are getting worse
In the Spotlight And no one knows why it is happening
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine