Sunshine Skyway Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Sunshine Skyway Bridge |
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| Coordinates | 27°37′30″N 82°39′30″W / 27.625°N 82.65833°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of I-275 and US 19 |
| Crosses | Tampa Bay |
| Locale | South of St. Petersburg and north of Terra Ceia, Florida |
| Maintained by | Florida Department of Transportation |
| ID number | 150189 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | continuous pre-stressed concrete cable-stayed bridge |
| Total length | 5.5 miles (8.9 km) |
| Width | 94 feet (29 m) |
| Height | 431 feet (131 m) |
| Longest span | 1,200 feet (366 m) |
| Clearance above | 193 feet (59 m) |
| Clearance below | 175 feet (53 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1954 (original bridge, collapsed 1980) April 20, 1987 (new bridge) |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 50,500 |
| Toll | $1 for passenger cars or $0.75 with SunPass |
Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a highway bridge in Tampa Bay, Florida, that crosses 29,040 feet (5.5 miles or about 8.85 km). Every day, about 50,500 vehicles (cars and trucks) cross over the bridge. The bridge is considered Florida's "flag bridge" (Florida's most important bridge). 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. The bridge was reconstructed to its current version in 1987.
Images for kids
-
The collapsed original bridge on May 9, 1980, after the Summit Venture collision. Photo by St. Petersburg Times
-
Before demolition
-
Demolition of steel and concrete girders. Truncated pier visible was the one struck by Summit Venture
-
Main bridge span secure on barge being towed away
-
Blasting steel truss
-
Blasting concrete piers
-
The bridge at twilight
-
View of bridge from Fort De Soto Park's East Beach
-
Driving on the bridge, near the peak
-
View of bridge heading north
-
View looking up while driving across Sunshine Skyway Bridge
See also
In Spanish: Sunshine Skyway Bridge para niños
