FIU Bridge Update - New Bridge Has Broken Ground

[epoxybot]

The replacement for the failed FIU Pedestrian Bridge has broken ground. While not visible on Google Maps, there is satellite imagery on Google Earth from 3/2025. So far it appears to be all ground work, on FIU campus and both sides of the canal (Sweetwater). The original bridge had a $16 million price tag, while the new steel-beamed bridge is more than double. It comes with not just one but TWO (2) faux stay-cable towers. Double your pleasure - Double your price.

Sweetwater Approves $37.7 Million Pedestrian Bridge Connecting FIU, Enhances Infrastructure | LocalLens

Overview: The Sweetwater City Commission approved a major pedestrian bridge project and discussed several comprehensive city planning amendments during its meeting on September 9, 2024. Notably, the bridge aims to enhance pedestrian connectivity between Florida International University (FIU) and...

thelocallens.org

https://www.wlrn.org/transportation/2023-04-03/cautious-new-design-5-years-after-fatal-fiu-bridge-collapse

Florida International University Pedestrian Bridge

bcceng.com

SR 90/US 41/SW 8 St at SW 109 Ave Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project: SR 90/US 41/SW 8 St at SW 109 Ave Pedestrian Bridge Replacement Project

 

[TugboatEng]

It would be double embarrassing if the new bridge cost a penny less than the failed one.

 

[Tomfh]

Strange. Wouldn’t you just build a normal bridge after all that trouble?

 

[LittleInch]

That's a nice looking bridge to be fair.

 

[spsalso]

So they're replacing a crosswalk with a bridge. Again. For $37 million dollars.

It's true that I've seen a goodly number of college students walk into an intersection without looking first for approaching traffic. Perhaps that's the inspiration.

I wonder if it will challenge the students to find the stairs for the bridge. Once already walking on the bridge, finding the downward stairs should be no problem at all.


spsalso

 

[Alistair_Heaton]

who was paying for the first bridge?

from what I can see this is a relatively normal bridge design and method of building.

 

[waross]

Did I get this right:
This is a self supporting span, but the capacity is increased by the addition of cable stays?
I wouldn't want to be tasked with evaluating deterioration and suitability for continued service 40 years or more from now.
Please tell me that I have misunderstood something.

 

[TugboatEng]

Isn't Florida supposed to be under water by then? Maybe the design life is limited so there is no need to study so far out.

 

[Tomfh]

This is a self supporting span, but the capacity is increased by the addition of cable stays?

That’s what it says.

 

[XR250]

Curious if there wa an insurance payout on the old bridge to fund the new one?

 

[spsalso]

I'm probably just being a fuddy duddy, but:

I'd make the roof wider than the walkway. That way you could do a better job of keeping the rain (does it rain in Florida?) off of the pedestrians. I'm sure the "stakeholders" would think that a nice convenience. It's sorta like having the roof wider than the walls of a house--a not uncommon design element. Or even an umbrella, which is almost always wider than the person underneath.

While it's exceptionally daring to have cables from only one side of the towers, I do think I'd backstay them, too. It would tend to counteract the tension on the existing cables, and make the towers more compressive and less bendy (a technical bridge design term).


spsalso

 

[TugboatEng]

Is there a benefit to making the force excessively tension so that there cannot be any load reversals which may cause fatigue?

 

[FacEngrPE]

Quote from FIU webpage Link

• Two-span continuous structural steel box girder superstructure with a maximum span length of 193’ over a major principal arterial
• Innovative hybrid design of 150-ft tall dual pylon with redundant load carrying capacity and integral concrete cross beam for improved aesthetics.

I would not read this to say that the pylons and cables provide much if any additional capacity to the bridge deck. The geometry does not appear to support the pylon handling that much bending force.

The arrangement should redundantly support the pylons and cables.