Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay - Florida

Twilight view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, Florida.

Since it opened to traffic in 1987, the Sunshine Skyway has won dozens of engineering and design awards. It is considered to be the longest cable stayed concrete bridge in the world. The Travel Channel rated the Skyway Bridge as one of the top ten bridges in the world.

A panoramic view of the Skyway Bridge as the lights come on and the sunset fades into twilight.

1,800 LED light fixtures were added in 2019. The color scheme changes with the seasons and during special events.

Photographers Tip: The Skyway Fishing Pier State Park on the South end of the bridge is a great spot for viewing and photographing this spectacular bridge.

The cables descending from the two towers are set in the middle of the bridge, with 40-foot roadways on each side. By placing the cables in the center of the bridge, instead of on the edges of the bridge, the designers ensured that motorists would always have an unimpeded view of the bay. As a final touch, the cables were painted bright yellow, representing rays of sunshine in the Sunshine State.

An aerial view from a helicopter highlights the graphic shapes of the Skyway Bridge.

 

Aerial view of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge with the shadow of the “old” Skyway Bridge cast in the waters below the new bridge. I created this image during the time when the new bridge opened to traffic and the single span of the old bridge was still standing.

Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, Florida