John Ringling Causeway, Vehicle and pedestrian bridge in Sarasota, Florida.

The John Ringling Causeway is a vehicle and pedestrian bridge connecting mainland Sarasota to Bird Key across Sarasota Bay. It has four driving lanes and sidewalks on both sides wide enough for walkers and cyclists to move comfortably.

John Ringling, a founder of the Ringling Brothers Circus and a landowner on Lido and Longboat Keys, financed the first causeway and bridge for about $750,000; it opened to traffic on February 7, 1926, and he gave it to the city in 1927. A four-lane drawbridge replaced it in 1959, and the current 65-foot-high segmental box girder bridge opened in 2003.

The bridge displays colored lights after dark that shift for different community events throughout the year. Travelers crossing it in the evening notice how the illumination changes the experience and marks local celebrations.

Traffic is heavy during rush hours, so walkers and cyclists should expect noise and movement from passing vehicles. It is best to cross in the morning or evening when the bridge is quieter and the bay views are more enjoyable.

The bridge carries the name of an eccentric businessman whose circus company shaped entertainment in the 1900s. This connection to the circus world is overlooked by most travelers, adding hidden history to what seems like an ordinary crossing.