Find Hotels Near Sunshine Skyway Bridge St Petersburg

The Sunshine Skyway Bridge in St Petersburg, Florida is a beautiful and iconic landmark that connects St. Petersburg to Terra Ceia Island in Manatee County. Spanning nearly 4 miles long, the bridge reaches impressive heights of around 180 feet and consists of a four-lane, divided roadway with nearly 8 million pounds of steel used to construct it. This cable-stayed bridge is widely known for its unique design which includes a pair of 1,200 foot tall main spans held up by twin towers and cables connected to the roadway below.

Built in 1971, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was originally constructed to replace an old drawbridge that had become structurally deficient due to increased traffic over the span's extended lifespan. Despite multiple attempts at rehabilitating and strengthening the structure, engineers determined that a replacement was needed, and thus the construction of the current bridge began in 1979. When completed in 1987, it was the first cable-stayed bridge built in Florida and has been deemed one of America's most scenic bridges.

Despite its beauty and grandeur, this bridge has seen tragedy as two vessels have collided with its concrete center span. On May 9th 1980 a freighter named Summit Venture rammed into the center span resulting in part of it collapsing into Tampa Bay below along with 35 vehicles that were on board at the time; unfortunately 35 people lost their lives due to the impact. The center span was eventually rebuilt with additional safety precautions taken for future incidents such as navigational aids for ships passing beneath it.

Since then, this modern marvel has seen successes such as being listed on both The National Register of Historic Places and The American Society of Civil Engineers' List of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks; not only is it an engineering feat but also a national treasure as well! It’s no wonder why tourists from all over come to witness its breathtaking views from either side or even take photographs or videos for social media! From its amazing engineering feats to its remarkable history filled with tragedy and triumphs alike – there’s no denying that this iconic landmark stands out against Florida’s horizon!