If you’re visiting Tampa on a road trip or planning to explore some of the nearby
Gulf Coast beaches
, I highly recommend taking a detour on the incredible Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
How Long Does it Take to Cross the Sunshine Skyway Bridge?
This is a masterpiece of civil engineering that connects the nearby cities of St. Petersburg and Bradenton and offers incredible views of Tampa Bay.
What makes Tampa’s Sunshine Skyway bridge stand out from the crowd is its size.
In fact, it’s the longest cable-stayed concrete bridge on the planet!
Construction was completed in the late 1980s and the bridge has been a local landmark ever since.
Due to its gigantic size, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is hard to miss in Tampa.
This is just one of many great places in the city.
In 2005, the Florida legislature ruled that the current bridge was officially named the
Bob Graham
Sunshine Skyway Bridge in honor of the former Florida governor and later U.
S.
senator.
The design of the bridge was proposed by Graham after a trip to France, where he saw a bridge of a similar design – the cable-stayed
Brotonn bridge (Pont de Brotonne).
About Sunshine Skyway Bridge
When the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was opened in 1954, it was almost called the “Magic Carpet” because of its fantastic length.
The total construction cost was $22 million, at the time of construction it was the longest continuous bridge in the US and one of the longest bridges in the world.
When a cargo plane crashed into the bridge in 1980, blinded by a devastating hurricane, it was destroyed.
Seven years later, the bridge was restored and opened to travelers.
The new Skyway is even larger than the original one, standing at approximately 430 meters in height.
How Long Does it Take to Cross the Sunshine Skyway Bridge?
How Long Does it Take to Cross the Sunshine Skyway Bridge?
It takes 9 minutes to cross the sunshine skyway Bridge .
This masterpiece of civil engineering is 7. 8-mile-long.
This suspension bridge is not only long, but also dizzyingly tall with a vertical clearance of 150 feet.
Fortunately, there is a place on the bridge where you can park and enjoy the panorama.
There is also a recreational area nearby where you can go kayaking and fishing if you want to spend the day (which you probably will).
What is The Speed Limit on The Sunshine Skyway Bridge?
70-75 miles / hour is the speed limit on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
In Florida, the maximum permitted speed can reach up to 85 miles / hour, which corresponds to 136 km / h. More often there is a maximum speed limit of 70-75 miles / hour, but this is also a comfortable speed on excellent American roads in Florida.
Quick lane changes and heavy traffic are common here.
Speed on narrow intercity roads is usually limited to 50 miles per hour.
However, often due to topography, pavement quality, or road repairs, speeds are limited to 35 mph.
But usually such restrictions are in those places where moving at a higher speed would really be dangerous.
If you exceeded the speed limit by more than 10 miles / hour, and an officer stopped you for this, then the calculation of your fine will be approximately as follows:
$106 + $2 * miles/hour exceeded.
That is, if the allowed maximum speed was 65 miles / hour, and you were driving as much as 90, then you will have to pay about $ 156.
However, it should not be forgotten that in the USA there are often special zones (school areas, repair zones, etc. ) where all fines are doubled.
So, if you also violate the speed limit, as in the example above, then you will pay not $156, but all $312…
How Much Does it Cost to Cross the Sunshine Skyway Bridge?
It cost $1. 50( per 1 passenger) to cross the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
Toll Roads in Florida include the one that is very often used by tourists, the Florida Highway and the Sunshine Skyway Bridge .
In many places now there is only electronic payment possible through a transponder, which is equipped with most rental cars in Florida.
Examples of this are the E-ZPass system used on most toll bridges, toll tunnels, and toll roads in the eastern United States, south to Virginia, north to Maine, and west to Illinois;
FastTrak in California;
SunPass in Florida;
K – Kansas Tag;
Pikepass in Oklahoma;
Texas TxTag (and in Texas EZ Tag in Houston and TollTag in Dallas);
GeauxPass in Louisiana;
as well as the Georgia Peach Pass and Cruise Map.
Many toll roads have open tolls, eliminating the need to stop at toll booths.
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What To Do if You are Stopped By the Police On the
Sunshine Skyway Bridge?
Police officers do not stop to check documents on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
If the policeman stops, he sees a violation of the rules.
Just in case, it will not work to break away in pursuit – when a police car develops a speed of more than 80 miles per hour, the camera and geolocation automatically turn on, it will not be difficult for you to find it.
And it’s also better not to try to physically fight back – he reports to the control room about his whereabouts and condition. Help will definitely come to him, and you will like the fleet.
The police officer is not interested in issuing fines – this does not affect the career of a policeman or his salary.
In addition to the video recording of the violation, the police officer makes an audio recording of the conversation with the driver.
Thus, any inappropriate behavior on both sides is fixed. If you have experienced rudeness, coercion or abuse, you can request this record in court and get rehab or claim compensation.
The same works for a police officer.
If you know that the rules are really violated, it is better not to refuse – the chances of a warning are higher. If you deny the recorded violation, the officer will decide that you do not realize your guilt and it is better for you to pay a fine.
If you really do not agree with the accusation and are sure that you are right, you can appeal the fine.
