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Could a deadly bridge collapse like the one in Florida happen in Utah?

Posted at 9:37 PM, Mar 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-18 23:39:39-04

SALT LAKE CITY - The pedestrian bridge that collapsed in Miami, Florida on March 15, killing six people and injuring a dozen others, was being built using a process called accelerated bridge construction.

That process has been used a lot here in Utah.

"We`re seen as the leaders in accelerated bridge construction," John Gleason, spokesman for the Utah Department of Transportation said.

Gleason says UDOT has built 200 bridges in Utah using the method which is supposed to minimize inconvenience and improve safety by building a bridge off-site and moving it into place when its completed.

He's not sure what went wrong in Florida, but said safety is always the first priority when building and maintaining bridges in the Beehive State.

"We`re very confident in our safety protocols," Gleason said. "We have a lot of checks and balances when were building these bridges".

With that said, UDOT will pay close attention to the investigation in Florida, to see what can be learned from the tragedy.