Company that engineered collapsed pedestrian bridge also built replacement Minnesota bridge
The company that designed a pedestrian bridge that collapsed in Florida is the same company that designed the new Interstate 35W bridge in Minnesota, after the old span collapsed more than 10 years ago.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 15: Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Department personel and other rescue units work at the scene where a pedestrian bridge collapsed a few days after it was built over southwest 8th street allowing people to bypass the busy street to reach F
The engineering company is FIGG Bridge Group. Its new pedestrian bridge in Miami was hailed as a technological innovation before it collapsed Thursday, killing at least six people.
FIGG said in a statement that it's stunned by the collapse. The cause is under investigation, but authorities said Friday that cables were being tightened when it collapsed.
In 2007, the Interstate 35W bridge collapsed in Minneapolis, killing 13 people and injuring 145. After that tragedy, FIGG was selected to design the replacement bridge that's currently in use.
MINNEAPOLIS - AUGUST 1: Remains of the Interstate 35W bridge sit in the Mississippi River after it collapsed during evening rush hour August 1, 2007 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The eight lane steel and concrete bridge, which was undergoing repair work