Sunshine Skyway Bridge

Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Coordinates27°37′30″N 82°39′30″W / 27.625°N 82.65833°W / 27.625; -82.65833
Carries4 lanes of I-275 / US 19
CrossesTampa Bay
LocaleSouth of St. Petersburg and north of Terra Ceia, Florida
Official nameBob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Other name(s)The Skyway
Named forBob Graham
Maintained byFlorida Department of Transportation
ID number150189
Characteristics
DesignCable-stayed
Total length4.14 miles (6.7 km)
Width94 feet (29 m)
Height430 feet (131 m)[1]
Longest span1,200 feet (366 m)
Clearance below180.5 feet (55 m)[2]
No. of lanes4
History
Engineering design byFigg & Muller Engineering Group
Constructed byAmerican Bridge Company
Construction startJune 1982[3][4]
Construction cost$244 million
OpenedApril 20, 1987; 37 years ago (1987-04-20)
ReplacesSunshine Skyway Bridge
Statistics
Daily traffic59,178 (2018)[5]
Toll$1.50 for passenger cars or $1.07 with SunPass
Location
Map
(Former) Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Coordinates27°37′30″N 82°39′31″W / 27.625°N 82.6586°W / 27.625; -82.6586
Carries4 lanes of US 19 (as two separate 2-lane bridges for each direction)
CrossesTampa Bay
LocaleSouth of St. Petersburg and north of Terra Ceia, Florida
Characteristics
DesignCantilever bridge
MaterialSteel
Trough constructionSteel
Pier constructionReinforced concrete
History
Construction start1950 (original bridge, later converted to northbound only traffic)
1967 (southbound span)
Construction end1954 (northbound span)
1971 (southbound span)
OpenedSeptember 6, 1954; 70 years ago (1954-09-06) (original bridge)
InauguratedSeptember 6, 1954 (1954-09-06)
CollapsedMay 9, 1980; 44 years ago (1980-05-09)
ReplacesBee Line Ferry
Replaced bySunshine Skyway Bridge
Location
Map
Sunshine Skyway Bridge

The (Senator) Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, also known as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge or the Skyway, is a highway bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida, that crosses 29,040 feet (5.5 miles or about 8.85 km).[6] Every day, about 50,500 vehicles (cars and trucks) cross over the bridge.[7][8][9] The bridge is considered Florida's "flag bridge" (Florida's most important bridge).[10] On May 9, 1980, a freighter ship, called the MV Summit Venture, ran into one of the bridge's supporting columns. 1200 feet (366 meters) of the bridge fell into the water, and 35 people were killed.[11][12] The bridge was reconstructed to its current version in 1987.[13]

Notes

  1. ↑ Bergen, Katy (August 16, 2014). "If Skyway Run Gets Approval, Appeal Could Be Widespread". Sarasota Herald-Tribune. Archived from the original on May 5, 2015. Retrieved May 4, 2015.
  2. ↑ Dickinson, S.L. (March 25, 2011). "Port Community Information Bulletin # 04-11: Sunshine Skyway Vertical Clearance" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on April 18, 2016. Retrieved November 8, 2016.
  3. ↑ "History Of the Sunshine Skyway". 21 July 2017. Archived from the original on 2019-11-09.
  4. ↑ "Sunshine Skyway Bridge - AA Roads". Archived from the original on 2019-11-09.
  5. ↑ "Florida Bridge Information – 2019 1st Quarter" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. January 2, 2019. p. 216. Retrieved February 14, 2019.
  6. ↑ "Sunshine Skyway Bridge". Public Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  7. ↑ 2006 Average Annual Daily Traffic Counts in Pinellas County (A.A.D.T.) (PDF) (Map). Pinellas County Metropolitan Planning Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2009-03-25. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  8. ↑ PTMS and TTMS Sites, 2006, Pinellas County (15) (PDF) (Map). Florida Department of Transportation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  9. ↑ "2006 Annual Average Daily Traffic Report" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportation. pp. Site 0088. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-16. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  10. ↑ Garcia, Jose. "The Skyway Bridge - Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow" (PDF). Florida Department of Transportaiton. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  11. ↑ "A blinding squall, then death". St. Petersburg Times. Archived from the original on 2007-02-24. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  12. ↑ Jean Heller (2000-05-07). "The Day Skyway Fell: May 9, 1980". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved 2010-10-04.
  13. ↑ "Sunshine Skyway Bridge". Structurae. Retrieved 10 April 2010.
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