Completed in , the Sunshine Skyway is the world's longest cable-stayed concrete bridge. It is probably the best known of the several dozen cable-stayed bridges that have been built in the United States since the late s. Its popularity may be due to its unique color -- its cables are painted a bright taxicab yellow -- but the bridge also boasts an interesting history. The Sunshine Skyway isn't the first bridge to span the broad mouth of the Tampa Bay.
In fact, a four-mile steel cantilever bridge used to live where the new Sunshine Skyway now stands. But during a violent thunderstorm on the morning of May 9, , the freighter Summit Venture plowed into the cantilever bridge. Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a 6. Its height is feet m and is said to be the longest cable stayed concrete bridge in the world. It links St. An estimated 52, vehicles use the bridge. The entire bridge is almost completely composed of just concrete and steel.
The current bridge opened in The views from this bridge are spectacular if you don't have a fear of heights. Don't be fooled by its sunny name, the history alone makes going over "Sunshine Skyway Bridge" scary. In , the freighter MV Summit Venture collided with a support column during a blinding thunderstorm causing the bridge to collapse. The collision caused six cars, a truck, and a Greyhound bus to fall feet 46 m into the water, killing 35 people.
On top of this, people have committed suicided by jumping off the center span into the Tampa Bay waters since when the new bridge was reconstructed. Prior to that, another 51 people have jumped to their deaths before the older bridge collapsed. There are now 6 suicide hotlines placed along the bridge as a safety precaution and a constant reminder to its past.
It is a toll road. A panel of local judges sifted through each submission. A grand opening ceremony christening the Sunshine Skyway Bridge took place early in St. Petersburg on the morning of Sept. Ice cream and soda vendors lined the streets and dignitaries and politicians gathered to speak. Then, the motorcade started: At a. A dozen planes and two helicopters flew over the triumphant inaugural drive. When the motorcade made it to Bradenton on the other side, they held the opening ceremony all over again.
After the motorcade, the bridge was opened to the public. Tolls were suspended from 11 a. Toll operators counted 15, cars on that first day. More than 50, people were estimated to have journeyed across the bridge that day, whether they rode in buses and trucks or biked and walked across. Hundreds of boats gathered around the bridge to celebrate in the blue waters of the bay. The Aquamaniacs Ski Club performed a water ballet. Spivey was involved in the first accident.
Those misfortunes came after a long wait to get on the bridge. North of the Skyway, traffic stopped completely as thousands sat in their cars on 34th Street and Tangerine and Lakeview Avenues, waiting for their turn to take the historic drive. Cars backed up in Manatee County as well. Tom Harris wrote that the ride was thrilling, especially ascending the rise up to the The 5-degree incline conjured a feeling of going up a roller coaster, said historian Bill DeYoung.
Drivers would white-knuckle up to the highest point, where the road turned to metal grating. Then came the low rumble of tires thumping over the bumps.
During the day, passengers could look down though the grate at churning waves splashing below. A 1,foot span of the southbound bridge collapsed into the bay, and 35 people lost their lives.
The disaster rendered that span unusable.
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