3 April 2-8, 2026 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 miaminewtimes.com MIAMI NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | ▼ DOWNTOWN MIAMI DÉJÀ VU AN ACCIDENT THAT KILLED A WORKER WAS THE SECOND THIS YEAR AT MIAMI’S SIGNATURE BRIDGE. BY ALEX DELUCA Less than three months after multi- ple construction workers were hos- pitalized in a serious on-site accident, a worker has died at Mi- ami’s Signature Bridge construction site. Early Monday, March 23, Jorge Eliud Galindo Thompson fell to his death while working on the contro- versial I-395/SR 836/I-95 Design- Build Project, which includes the construction of the Signature Bridge and a double-decker portion of State Road 836. According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the incident oc- curred just before 4 a.m., when Galindo fell roughly 20 feet from an overpass on the site and landed on Biscayne Boulevard. He was pro- nounced dead at the scene. Galindo’s death comes several months after another safety incident at the same site, in which six construction workers were injured when a beam toppled and hurled them approximately 30 feet. In an interview with NBC 6 South Florida, Galindo’s uncle, Clifford Thompson, said that their family was “destroyed.” “You just feel helpless,” Thompson said. “I have been hearing about many things that have happened in this project, and I have al- ways told him that he has to be careful.” Roughly three months before Galindo’s death, at around 10 p.m. on January 16, the City of Miami Department of Fire Rescue re- sponded to reports of “trapped victims” at the construction site. Rescue workers initially re- ported finding that a beam “somehow top- pled,” throwing the six workers roughly 30 feet and trapping one of them. All six were transported to the Ryder Trauma Center, where five were listed in critical condition and one in serious condition. Five have since been released, while one remains in the hos- pital, FDOT spokesperson Maria Rosa Hig- gins Fallon tells New Times. Authorities have not publicly disclosed the cause of the inci- dent. Following the fatal accident, Fallon says the department has “immediately halted all work on this job to ensure the contractor and crews are committed to the highest level of safety possible.” While “construction zones are a high-risk environment,” she adds, “safety is non-nego- tiable and will not be compromised.” “The Department is deeply saddened by yesterday’s incident on Westbound I-395 near Biscayne Blvd. We send our heartfelt condolences to the friends and family im- pacted by this tragedy,” she wrote in the email. “While this particular investigation is still ongoing, FDOT has demanded that the Contractor fully cooperate with investigating agencies, conduct a thorough internal review of the incident, and develop a cor- rective action plan to help prevent tragedies like this.” The massive bridge project, slated to cost $840 million, is the product of a joint venture between construction companies Archer Western and de Moya Group. Over- seen by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) and the Mi- ami-Dade Expressway Authority (MDX), the project aims to alleviate Miami’s hellish traffic but has faced repeated delays. It’s now scheduled to be finished by late 2029, although most longtime residents aren’t hold- ing their breath. While Galindo’s death is report- edly under investigation by the Oc- cupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which probes workplace safety accidents and deaths, the back-to-back inci- dents are likely to raise further ques- tions about the project, which has already drawn criticism over its safety and design. In January, NBC6 reported that a lawsuit filed by Archer Western and de Moya Group over project delays alleged that the engineer- ing firm they hired to design the bridge had previously miscalculated wind loads. In re- cent weeks, photos circulating on social me- dia that appeared to show cracks in portions of the bridge prompted some...natural public concern. An FDOT spokesperson previously assured New Times that the cracking is super- ficial and doesn’t pose a structural risk. OSHA tells New Times it is investigating the incident and cannot share additional de- tails while the probe is underway. [email protected] | RIPTIDE | GET MORE NEWS & COMMENTARY AT MIAMINEWTIMES.COM/NEWS The Signature Bridge will add six arches to the Miami skyline. Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) photo ▼ BRICKELL NO PIGEONS MIAMI CONDO BUILDING STANDS BY BIRD KILLINGS DESPITE OUTRAGE. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN A fter a video of a man stuffing caged pi- geons into a black trash bag on the roof of the Neo Vertika condominium building in Brickell went viral on social media, the management office assured residents that the killing method is compliant with state guide- lines. The office also said it was forced to take action after residents started feeding the pi- geons, causing “a significant increase in pigeon activity throughout the building.” In an email to residents earlier this month, Neo Vertika said a complaint about the pigeon video was filed with local officials. “The case has since been closed with no vio- lations issued,” reads the email obtained by New Times. The email said the management office was “not previously aware of the specific method be- ing used” by the removal company. After con- cerns were raised over the man’s actions in the video, in which he appeared at one point to shake a pigeon and later stuck them into a bucket, the office said it immediately contacted the vendor and the city to ensure compliance. “All actions taken by the vendor are per- formed in accordance with [Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission] (FWC) guidelines and applicable regulations,” manage- ment added. “We understand that the circulating video may be upsetting to some. However, the Association is addressing a documented nui- sance and public health concern using lawful and professional means after repeated attempts to resolve the issue through resident cooperation.” A spokesperson from Miami-Dade Animal Services told New Times that its enforcement team visited the property on Thursday, March 19, spoke to the property manager, and confirmed that there are no violations of animal welfare or cruelty laws. “The condominium association has con- tracted a licensed wildlife removal company to humanely trap and remove the pigeons from the property,” the spokesperson said. A report from the visit states that the property man- ager provided a copy of the con- tract with the trapping com- pany, Pest Wild- life Pro, a copy of the company’s current state certificates, and a copy of a letter sent to resi- dents last November to stop feeding the pigeons. “No cruelty to animal violations were found,” the county employee wrote. According to the FWC website, nuisance wild- life is defined as animals that “cause property damage, present a threat to public safety, or cause an annoyance within, under, or upon a building.” Captured nuisance wildlife, however, must be released legally or euthanized humanely within 24 hours of capture, FWC guidelines state. The building has been experiencing increased pigeon activity, according to the email to resi- dents, and management discovered that three residents had a bird feeder on their units’ balco- nies. The feeding continued despite orders to stop. “This resulted in ongoing health, sanitation, and property concerns for the community,” the email reads. “Many owners raised serious con- cerns regarding the impact on children and the elderly residents, as well as the need to continu- ously clean balconies and common areas due to excessive bird droppings.” Management said it contacted local authori- ties to review the available options and “THE ASSOCIATION IS ADDRESSING A DOCUMENTED NUISANCE AND PUBLIC HEALTH CONCERN USING LAWFUL AND PROFESSIONAL MEANS.” >> p4
