Builders of collapsed bridge previously accused of unsafe work: report

The construction firms that built a bridge that collapsed in Miami on Thursday have previously been accused and reprimanded for “shoddy work,” according to the Miami New Times.  

The pedestrian bridge connected Florida International University’s campus to the city of Sweetwater. It collapsed on top of street traffic below, killing several people and trapping cars under tons of concrete.

The construction of the bridge was a joint project between Munilla Construction Management and Figg Bridge Group, which received $14.2 million from the Department of Transportation for the work.

The firms were using new high-tech materials for the project completed on Saturday, according to the New Times.

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Both companies have faced accusations of unsafe practices in the past.

Munilla faced a lawsuit in a Miami court earlier this month that accused the company of building a “makeshift bridge” at an airport that injured one airport worker when it ruptured on Oct. 20, 2016, according to the report.

The worker was severely injured by his fall from the heavily trafficked bridge.

Figg was fined $28,000 for building code violations in 2012 by the Virginia Department of Labor and Industry after the collapse of the South Norfolk Jordan Bridge. That project collapsed, dropping 90-tons of material 40 feet onto a railroad track. 

One of the charges in that case said the company did not get consent from the manufacturer to modify a girder that ultimately failed and resulted in the crash. Four workers sustained minor injuries in the accident, according to The Virginian-Pilot. Figg was later sued by the railroad company, which owned the tracks that caught the chunk of concrete.

Munilla offered their “thoughts and prayers” to those affected by the Florida bridge collapse on Twitter.

Eight people were reportedly transported to hospitals after the crash. The Homicide Bureau is investigating the incident. 

The White House said President Trump was aware of the bridge collapse.

“Our brave first responders are working feverishly to save lives. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and offer whatever support is needed to the local officials and community,” White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement.