Remembering the lives lost on the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in Tampa Bay

Writer: Nicholas Karsen
Published: Updated:
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
A car is halted at the edge of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay, Fla., after the freighter Summit Venture struck the bridge during a thunderstorm and tore away a large part of the span, May 9 1980. A container ship struck a major bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday, March 26, 2024, causing it to plunge into the river below. From 1960 to 2015, there have been 35 major bridge collapses worldwide due to ship or barge collision. (AP Photo/Jackie Green, File)

The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, collapsed early Tuesday, has some striking similarities to an incident regarding the Sunshine Skyway Bridge in the ’80s.

The Sunshine Skyway in Tampa Bay collapsed on May 9, 1980, after a 609-foot freighter named the Summit Venture struck it.

The more than 4-mile-long bridge dropped a 1,400-foot section of concrete roadway early in the morning, causing seven vehicles to drop about 150 feet into the water.

Thirty-five people died in the collapse.

Following the incident, engineers relocated the bridge to a location that would allow for ships to pass more easily.

Bumpers were added as protection measures in the event of another ship collision.

The renovation increased the span by roughly 50% higher and broader than its predecessor.

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