Village leaders and worried residents in Palmetto Bay sounded the alarm last year when Miami-Dade County chose Magnum Construction Management to build the controversial bridge that crosses over a canal that breaks up 87th Avenue at 164th Street. After all, MCM (former Munilla Construction Management) was one of the contractors involved in the awful Florida International University pedestrian bridge collapse over Southwest 8th Street in 2018, which killed six and left an indelible mark on the rest of us forever.
“This is a direct threat to the safety of our families and our community,” wrote Mayor Karyn Cunningham in a mass text to residents, informing them of a special meeting she had called. “As your mayor, I’m fighting to stop this dangerous project,” 
Cunningham’s text read.
Lots of people thought she was exaggerating and playing politics as a fierce critic of the bridge.
Read related: Miami-Dade picks FIU bridge builder for 87th Avenue bridge project
But this week, a man was found dead under the 66-foot expanse under construction at connecting 164th Street and 87th, the victim of what authorities say was an “industrial accident.” No foul play is expected. NBC6 Local News reported that the man was found in a pool of water with his shirt off on the construction site.
Without having the full information yet, Cunningham issued a statement Friday that doubled down on her position and asks the county to halt the project in mid construction.
“I’m writing to express concern over the incident that occurred on March 25 at the location where the SW 87th Avenue Bridge is being built over the C-100 canal, here in Palmetto Bay,” she wrote on a message posted on the village website.
“As we previously reported on our social media, a fatality occurred that day at the construction site. So far, we have learned that deputies from the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the scene shortly after 1 pm to find an unresponsive adult male beneath the bridge area. The person was pronounced deceased on scene. An investigation ensued and is currently underway. According to the Sheriff’s Office, preliminary findings point to an industrial accident and no foul play is suspected. A final determination on the manner and cause of death will be made by the Miami-Dade Medical Examiner.
“Our Village Council has been concerned about the safety of this project for quite some time. On August 8, 2024, we
called a Special Council Meeting shortly after learning that the contractor selected by Miami-Dade County to build the bridge was the same company whose subcontractor was found to be responsible for the 2018 FIU bridge collapse that took the lives of six people. The purpose of the public meeting was to discuss safety concerns and issues surrounding the project, which were then voiced in a comprehensive letter sent to the Inspector General and county officials. That letter addressed potential misconduct, ethical breaches, and violations of state and county law that we felt constituted genuine safety concerns for our residents and our community. We asked county officials to consider pausing the project until these concerns were addressed, but despite our best efforts, construction of the bridge was allowed to proceed.
“After the death of the worker at the construction site, we feel that our concerns for public safety were justly warranted. Our Village Council and staff join the community in mourning the worker who lost his life, and we offer our deepest condolences to his family. And, as the investigation into his death continues, we once again urge the county to consider a comprehensive assessment of the project, evaluating all associated safety concerns that pose a potential risk not only to other workers on the site, but possibly to our residents as well.
“Given the magnitude of this project, we feel that no amount of oversight is too great to ensure the public wellbeing.”
Of course, Cunningham never wanted the bridge to begin with.
Read related: Danielle Cohen Higgins earns distrust with surprise revisit to 87th Ave bridge
The construction of the bridge was approved by a majority of the county commissioners, against the village’s official wishes, in 2021, after hearing from more than 130 people at a county TPO meeting. Mostly those north of the bridge were against it and those who live south were in favor. The county’s Department of Transportation and Public works began the process last year. But residents have continued to protest along the way.
Ladra reached out to the office of Miami-Dade District 8 Commissioner Danielle Cohen Higgins, who started championing the bridge soon after her appointment to the board, but Political Cortadito has not been able to connect with her staff at the time of this late Friday posting.
Check this space for updates.
Man found dead under controversial Palmetto Bay bridge under construction added by Ladra on
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