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(KMSP) - The engineering firm tasked with designing a Miami bridge that collapsed Thursday, killing multiple people and injuring close to a dozen more, is also responsible for designing a replacement for the Interstate 35W bridge after it collapsed in 2007.
According to a listing on the firm's website, the project was an "emergency replacement, fast-track design/build" and took just 11 months from start to finish. The company also designed the Wabasha Freedom Bridge in St. Paul. They were partnering with Miami-based construction management firm MCM on the project in Miami, which aimed to connect two sections of Florida International University across a busy highway.
The "innovative installation" of the Miami bridge has been called into question by engineering experts after the collapse, with the builders of the bridge choosing to construct the entire 174-foot span of the bridge in advance and swing it into place before the central support tower was built.
Saturday was when the bridge was officially installed, with construction workers performing work on the bridge all week since then.
After the collapse, FIGG issued a press release saying the firm was "stunned":
“Our deepest sympathies are with all those affected by this accident," FIGG Engineering wrote. "We will fully cooperate with every appropriate authority in reviewing what happened and why. In our 40-year history, nothing like this has ever happened before. Our entire team mourns the loss of life and injuries associated with this devastating tragedy, and our prayers go out to all involved.”