I have nothing against properly designed and constructed suspension systems. They work well all over the place and the elements are “up there” out of the way of traffic. With any kind of permanent ground piers you’re going to get at least a 25% reduction in traffic capacity and a lot more cost.
Internet rumor is that a crane was lifting something as the bridge was undergoing a “stress test” when it collapsed.
Seems unlikely to a layman like me that you would do this while traffic is flowing underneath, but what do I know.