It is the third bridge to connect St. Petersburg and Bradenton. Twin spans previously carried traffic two lanes in each direction. The southbound span was hit by an empty freighter on May 9, 1980 and a nearly 700-foot center span of the bridge collapsed into Tampa Bay. Thirty-five people plunged to their deaths that fateful morning. Bad weather and poor visibility was blamed for the accident. The old bridge was dismantled and its approaches have been converted into the state’s longest fishing piers.
The new bridge’s cables, resembling an inverted fan, are painted yellow and illuminated at night — a wonder-ful reflection of the Sunshine State.
