Florida International University Pedestrian Bridge to Link Campus, Community

February 10, 2016 3060 Views Anne Arundel Medical Center, Edgerley Family South Boston Club, Gallup Hill School, Ledyard Middle School, Ledyard Public Schools, LEED for Existing Buildings, O&G Industries, OCSA, renovate-as-new, Silver/Petrucelli Associates, South Boston Boys & Girls Club, The Architectural Team Inc.

SWEETWATER — Proving that infrastructure projects can sometimes impact a campus just as much as the construction of a new learning facility, Florida International University (FIU) in Sweetwater will soon add a pedestrian bridge, parking garage, and new sidewalks and plazas to its campus. The new additions are part of FUI’s UniversityCity Prosperity Project, which focuses on creating better transportation links between the university’s Modesto A. Maidique Campus (MMC) and the surrounding community.

“The pedestrian bridge along with inviting walkways, lighting and landscaping, will offer a safer transportation route for our students and visitors between the Modesto A. Maidique Campus and the City of Sweetwater,” said Kenneth Jessell, FIU senior vice president for finance and administration and chief financial officer, in a statement.

The $9.3 million pedestrian bridge and other streetscape elements will link the city of Sweetwater with the northern entrance of FIU. Miami-based building and civil engineering firm MCM, in partnership with Tallahassee, Fla.-headquartered FIGG Bridge Engineers, will design and build the new pedestrian facilities. MCM also completed an expansion of the FIU football stadium in August 2012.

As the project also involves city infrastructure, the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), the Federal Highway Administration, the City of Sweetwater and Miami-Dade Transit were also included in approving the project team. Groundbreaking will take place this spring and the project is likely to wrap up by summer 2018.

“FDOT is pleased to be a funding partner in this project," said Gus Pego, secretary of FDOT District Six, in a statement. “We are committed to working together with FIU to improve safety and connectivity for all pedestrians and students.” 

The proposed 320-foot-long bridge design features a 108-foot support tower intended to make the structure a landmark and a gateway for western Miami-Dade County. The bridge will also feature a lighting system designed by Randy Burkett Lighting Design of St. Louis that will illuminate it at night. A 30-foot-wide concrete canopy will be added, and the bridge’s generous width will allow for the comfortable passage of bikes and pedestrians as well as a space for special events and student seating. A 175-foot section of the bridge will be prefabricated adjacent to the site and moved into position in a single night so as to minimize traffic disruption.

“The MCM-FIGG team is honored and blessed to have been selected to build this iconic bridge,” said Jorge Munilla, president of MCM, in a statement. “It’s even more satisfying to serve the students and faculty of FIU again.”

Additionally, the project will include the construction of a new $37 million FIU parking garage. Smart phone users will be able to use a new smart parking software system, which will alert them to the location of available spaces in the garage and make parking more efficient, The application will also contain real-time information about transportation, including the new advanced bus system with which Miami-Dade Transit is planning to connect west Miami-Dade County with the Miami Intermodal Center at the airport, according to a statement by MCM.

An $11.4 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery Program grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation will fund the project. The funds will cover the construction of the bridge as well as improvements to the entrances of MMC and to the 109th Avenue area in Sweetwater across from MMC.

Click here to see a video of MCM-FIGG’s proposal.