The political world has coming down on the individuals responsible for constructing and erecting the pedestrian bridge that collapsed and left 6 dead and 7 others injured at Florida International University in Miami, Florida.
Gov. Rick Scott, Sens. Bill Nelson (D) and Marco Rubio (R), who still teaches a course at the university, Reps. Carlos Curbelo (R) and Mario Diaz-Balart (R), all echoed the same sentiment of overturning every stone in getting to the bottom of why this bridge collapse only a few days after it was put in place over busy street.
But the cause of the collapse could quickly be known, as Rubio tweeted a possible cause.
The cables that suspend the #Miami bridge had loosened & the engineering firm ordered that they be tightened. They were being tightened when it collapsed today. https://t.co/9Uc9EUsDYY
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 16, 2018
According to Rubio, the bridge was built using federal funding from a $11.4 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant in 2013. Rubio penned a letter to Department of Transporation Elaine Chao regarding the bridge collapse and her agency’s response.
Her is an excerpt of his letter to Chao:
“It is my understanding that the Department of Transportation contributed funding for the project through an $11.4 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant in 2013. This grant allowed FIU, and its partners, to move forward with construction. It is also my understanding that this bridge was constructed using the new Accelerated Bridge Construction method, and was installed this past Saturday in only six hours. While I support federal dollars being used to support innovative technologies, these projects must meet the highest standards to ensure safety is paramount.
I commend the National Transportation Safety Board’s swift deployment of a team to investigate the bridge collapse. In its review, I hope to see the NTSB investigate and answer the following questions: What safety standards are in place to ensure speed does not compromise safety in Accelerated Bridge Construction? What materials, and from what sources, were used in bridge construction? What, if any, safety procedures were not followed in this instance?
As the investigation continues and further details emerge, I stand ready to support the Department of Transportation, FIU, and the Miami community, as it deals with the aftermath of this tragic accident. Thank you for your swift attention to this matter and I look forward to your prompt response.”
Here Rubio along with Gov. Rick Scott and Miami-Dade County Commissioner Esteban Bovo, addressed reporters:
Sen. Rubio and Reps. Diaz-Balart and Curbelo were all at FIU two weeks ago holding a roundtable discussion with U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley over Western Hemisphere issues.
