St Petersburg - Sunshine Skyway

Sunshine Skyway (I 275/US 19; toll). This multi-lane "highway on stilts", 12 miles/20km long, curves gracefully across the entrance to Tampa Bay. Its central feature is a 4-1/4 mile/6.8km long high-level bridge, the middle section of which is suspended from two gigantic pylons, allowing the passage of large ocean-going vessels. The old bridge was rammed by a cargo ship in 1980 and partly collapsed; several vehicles were hurled into the sea, and more than 30 people lost their lives. Parts of the old bridge now serve as piers for anglers.