MIAMI — Relatives and friends of people still missing after a pedestrian bridge collapsed on a highway gathered Friday in South Florida, longing and praying for miracles as authorities searched the smashed concrete that has already claimed six lives.
While the families waited, investigators sought to understand why the 950-ton bridge gave way during construction. The cables supporting the span were being tightened following a “stress test” when it collapsed, authorities said.
“This is a tragedy that we don’t want to re-occur anywhere in the United States,” said Juan Perez, director of the Miami-Dade police. “We just want to find out what caused this collapse to occur and people to die.”
Detectives declared the rubble a homicide scene, and the National Transportation Safety Board arrived to investigate.
“Our focus is to remove all of the cars and all of the victims in a dignified manner and not compromise the investigation in the process,” said Maurice Kemp, Miami-Dade County’s deputy mayor.
Scheduled to open in 2019, the bridge would have provided safe passage over a canal and six lanes of traffic, and created a showpiece architectural feature connecting the campus of Florida International University with the community of Sweetwater, where many students live.
The $14.2 million project was supposed to take advantage of a faster, cheaper and safer method of bridge-building promoted by the university.
People worried about their loved ones gathered at FIU, waiting for word of any recovery. Authorities have not confirmed the victims’ names.
Daniela Diaz, a freshman at FIU, was sitting on a concrete bench, covered with an American Red Cross blanket. She was seeking information about her friend Alexa Duran, whose car was caught by the falling bridge.
“We are just waiting to hear anything,” she said. “It’s like a tedious process of just waiting and wanting to know.”
She found out about the accident through a friend who was a passenger in Duran’s car but was able to escape. He contacted Diaz’s friends to get in touch with Duran’s parents.
Diaz said she still hopes for her friend to emerge alive. But she paused and added, “I don’t know what there’s to be hopeful about.”
Duran’s father confirmed to El Nuevo Herald that his daughter was among the victims.
In a Facebook post, Chelsea Brownfield said she was awaiting any information about her husband, Brandon. According to a Go Fund Me page set up for the family, Brandon Brownfield was driving home from work Thursday when he was involved in the collapse.
“The outpouring of love we have received is incredible,” Chelsea Brownfield wrote. “I know you are all concerned for us. We still have not received any news or updates about Brandon Brownfield or the progress of the search (and) rescue.”
The post ended with the hashtag “praying for a miracle.”
Brownfield declined to comment in a message to The Associated Press.
Jorge and Carol Fraga drove from West Palm Beach, fearing their relative’s car was trapped beneath the bridge. Rolando Fraga, Jorge’s 60-year-old uncle, lives in the area and frequently takes the nearby turnpike to work, but no one has heard from him since midday Thursday.
“The waiting is so … I don’t have words for that,” Carol Fraga said through tears.
On Twitter, Miami-Dade police asked people to contact the homicide bureau with any information about the bridge and why it came down.
The fatalities included a student at FIU. One person died at a hospital, and Perez said five bodies were located with the help of cameras but had not yet been retrieved from the crushed vehicles.
Several construction workers were among the 10 people injured.
The bridge was put in place March 10, five days before the collapse. It was supposed to open in 2019.
When finished, the bridge would have been supported from above, with a tall, off-center tower and cables attached to the walkway. That tower had not yet been installed, and it was unclear what builders were using as temporary supports.
Sen. Bill Nelson has asked the Department of Transportation to turn over all records related to the design, construction, safety and inspection of the project.
Andy Herman, a bridge engineer and former president of the American Society of Civil Engineers, told The Associated Press that the so-called “accelerated bridge construction” has been used for years without problems.
He said cities like the method because it saves time. The system is faster “because you’re doing a lot of the work in a centralized location where you don’t have to worry about being over traffic.”
Then the structure is lifted into place above the roadway with minimal disruption to motorists, he said.
The school has long been interested in this kind of bridge design.
In 2010, it opened an Accelerated Bridge Construction Center to help the transportation industry “utilize the principles of ABC to enhance mobility and safety, and produce safe, environmentally friendly, long-lasting bridges,” according to the university website.
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Associated Press writers Jennifer Kay, Josh Replogle, Freida Frisaro and Curt Anderson in Miami; Jason Dearen in Gainesville; Tamara Lush in St. Petersburg and Rodrique Ngowi in Boston contributed to this report.
