Connecticut lawmakers question FIGG's state bridge contract

Dive Brief:

The Connecticut DOT has reaffirmed its choice of FIGG Bridge Group to oversee repairs and inspection services for the Arrigoni Bridge, a 71-year-old span that connects the Connecticut towns of Portland and Middletown, according to The Middletown Press. FIGG's contract for the project is valued at $40 million.
Earlier this month, Connecticut Sen. Norm Needleman and State Rep. Christie Carpino wrote a letter to CDOT Commissioner Joseph Giulietti questioning the agency's choice of FIGG and expressing concern about "the company's past safety record." In a commentary about the letter on Needleman's website, the concern centers on an OSHA report related to FIGG's alleged role in the March 15, 2018, pedestrian bridge collapse at Florida International University in Miami where six people died and eight others were injured.
CDOT spokesman Kevin Nursick told The Press that Giulietti is drafting a response to the lawmakers and said that the department "has absolute confidence" in FIGG to oversee construction. The agency has not yet chosen a construction company to execute repairs for the project.

Dive Insight:

The two lawmakers specifically referenced OSHA's June report, in which the federal safety agency pulled no punches in criticizing FIGG's and other contractors' oversight of the FIU bridge project. In fact, OSHA apportioned most of the blame to FIGG, which designed the bridge and provided the engineer of record for the project.

OSHA's Office of Engineering Services (OES) found that the cracks observed on the bridge prior to and after installation contributed to the collapse and that those cracks were a result of design errors. The OES also took FIGG, as well as other contractors on the project, to task for seemingly overlooking the "magnitude of the cracks" and not closing the road below the bridge to traffic, shoring up the structure and taking measures to address the cracks. When the bridge collapsed, it crushed cars traveling on the road underneath.

When asked about the cracks, OSHA said FIGG's engineer on the project responded to concerns by telling onsite crews and the Florida DOT that the cracks presented no safety issues, even though he and other FIGG engineers could not determine the cause of the cracks.

Earlier this month, FIGG and other contractors settled lawsuits with accident survivors and victims' families for undisclosed amounts. Last year, the general contractor for the project — Magnum Construction Management, formerly known as Munilla Construction Management — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and $42 million was set aside for survivors of the collapse and families of the deceased during those proceedings.