I study at FIU... I just don't see the point this bridge. Why would you spend 10+ million dollars on a bridge to cross a street, when the same problem can be solved by a simple crosswalk? We already have one of these bridges... and the majority of people don't bother to use it and simple take the cross walk. It just such a waste of money.
To put it into perspective, 8th street is an 8 lane street at that intersection, with cars driving past 50 and 55 mph all the time. Not to mention that there are several on/off ramps for the Florida Turnpike right next to it. I would be scared of crossing the street there to be honest. If I remember correctly there had been several hit and runs of students too.
The bridge was connecting FIU with a large student residence. Negligence during construction notwithstanding, to say that a simple crosswalk was enough is disingenuous.
This is the meta story. The campus is my city is the same way, bordered by a six-lane arterial with poor pedestrian connectivity so cars can speed as fast as possible through the high-pedestrian area. As long as North American cities put the car first, people will die whether from bridge collapses or car crashes.