First-Of-Its-Kind Lighting Project To Enhance Skyway Bridge

ST. PETERSBURG, FL — It's already one of the most recognizable landmarks in Florida. Now the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is getting a makeover that will make it one of the most photogenic landmarks as well.

The Florida Department of Transportation is outfitting the underside columns and bridge profile with 1,824 color changeable LED lights that will make the 4.14-mile-long bridge visible for miles around.

The wide faces of all the columns on the bridge spanning will be illuminated with floodlighting fixtures mounted to the underside of the deck and box girders. The floodlights will shine along the height of each column, fading out toward the water line.

Along the length of the main span and high-level approaches, a “necklace” of lights will be mounted on brackets, outlining the sweep of the stately bridge which towers 430 feet. The color patterns can be changed to reflect the seasons. They include patriotic, fireworks, water waves, sunset-sunrise, majestic, warm gateway, elegant sparkle and verdant green themes.

Installation is expected to be completed this fall.

The $15 million project isn't just for show, however. FDOT officials said the project is intended to enhance safety by providing more visibility to the underside of the bridge for large ships passing beneath. Currently, the bridge underside is nearly invisible at night.

Named for the late Florida governor, the Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is a cable-stayed bridge spanning lower Tampa Bay and connecting St. Petersburg to Terra Ceia in Manatee County.

The four-lane bridge opened in 1987, replacing the original 1954 bridge, which collapsed on May 9, 1980, after the freighter MV Summit Venture struck a support column on the bridge. More than 1,200 feet of the bridge crumbled into the bay, causing six cars, a truck and a Greyhound bus to plunge 150 feet into the water, killing 35 people.

As the FDOT completes the lighting project, the Tampa Theatre is making plans to host the world premiere of the documentary, "The Skyway Bridge Disaster."

The film, coming 39 years after the disaster, features interviews with survivors and local leaders, and recaps the trial of 37-year-old Capt. John Lerro, the harbor pilot responsible for guiding the MV Summit Venture through the shipping channels that day. Steve Yerrid, the attorney who represented Lerro, along with the filmmakers, will speak prior to the screenings Sept. 14 and 15. Both screenings are sold out.