[mewzilla]

A steel bridge would have been safer, easier to construct and met the need very nicely.

[Alberta's Child]

Would a conventional steel bridge withstand the force of a Category 5 hurricane? That was apparently one of the design parameters here.

[dennisw]

A steel bridge would have been safer, easier to construct and met the need very nicely.

FIU had the political clout with people like Marco Rubio (he teaches a course there) to get the much large funds appropriated to build a really pretty cable stayed concrete bridge. Much better for FIU bragging rights than a plain ol utilitarian steel bridge.

Marco Rubio>>>>
At Florida International University, GOP rising star Sen. Marco Rubio is professor Rubio
http://www.tampabay.com/news/education/college/at-florida-international-university-gop-rising-star-sen-marco-rubio-is/1226057

[ProtectOurFreedom]

The steel "Don Burnett Bicycle - Pedestrian Bridge" over eight lanes of Interstate 280 in Sunnyvale, CA is a nice example of what could have been built:

Even though we are wasting $100 billion or more on a train nobody wants or will use, we can build a pretty good bridge for $15 million. One interesting thing about the bridge --> "The original plan for the bridge was to use concrete to keep costs down, but a steel design was chosen after the bids for a concrete bridge came in too high."