Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Cable-stayed bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida, United States
The Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a pair of long beam bridges with a central cable-stayed span over Lower Tampa Bay, linking St. Petersburg in Pinellas County with Terra Ceia in Manatee County. Two pale vertical pylons rise above the deck, thin cables fanning down from their tops, and grey rectangular piers carry the roadway over the water.
The current crossing opened in 1987 after a freighter struck the original 1954 structure in 1980, causing a partial collapse. The replacement was designed to prevent future ship collisions and improve safety in the shipping channel.
The bridge is officially named the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, after the Florida governor and U.S. senator in office during its design and construction. The old bridge's surviving span was converted into two long fishing piers, a common spot for anglers. The bridge has appeared in films such as Loren Cass and The Punisher.
Drivers pay a toll to cross this interstate route on four lanes between Pinellas County and Manatee County. Stopping areas exist only at the ends of the main crossing, not on the high span itself.
Protective islands made of massive concrete columns surround the main supports to guard them from ship strikes in this busy shipping channel. Sensor systems monitor vessel movements and alert captains when they approach the bridge too closely.
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