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Group hoping to build bridge in Bay City connected to bridge collapse in Florida

Joanna Poe
/
https://flic.kr/p/8iYxb5

Bay City Officials say news that a firm hoping to build a new bridge in Bay City designed the pedestrian bridge that collapsed last week in Florida, killing six, is concerning.

The Figg Bridge Engineers Inc. and United Bridge Partners together submitted a proposal to buy, rebuild, and privatize Bay City’s Independence Bridge in 2017. Figg was responsible for designing the pedestrian bridge in Miami.

Brentt Brunner is a Bay City Commissioner. He said the city is already pursuing other options.

“We don’t want to privatize the bridges at this point in time because the public just doesn’t want it.”

Brunner said there was a public outcry against privatizing the bridges and the city is currently looking into state and local options for making the roughly nine million dollars in necessary repairs.

But Brunner said he will watch the investigation into what caused the collapse closely.

“Do I think the partnership may not happen if we were ever to look at that route again? I think it could possibly have a huge impact depending on how the investigation turns out.”

In a written statement a spokesperson for the Figg Bridge Engineers said of the bridge collapse quote “we will fully cooperate with every authority in reviewing what happened and why.