The original Sunshine Skyway Bridge opened in 1954, with an addition in 1969 to make it a four-lane bridge, according to the Florida State Parks website. Following a 1980 ship collision that killed 35 ...

While many anglers went to the bridge to fish for dinner or bonding time with family, other memories were made by meeting new ...

When the original Sunshine Skyway bridge opened in 1954, it was given a 50-year life span. A second bridge, built in 1969 and opened in 1971 to allow double the cars, was given a similar lifespan.

“I’ve just been getting bites the whole day,” said 14-year-old Willie Hurst, who spent the afternoon fishing with his father off of Pier 60. The area of the pier from the bait house to the gate had ...

In 2008, the eastern bridge, built in 1954, was closed to fishing. It had a 54-year lifespan when it was deemed structurally dangerous and sections were removed. Now in 2025, and 54 years after its ...