I was born in Bradenton in the late 90's and just found this documentary. I've never actually thought twice about the Skyway because it's been there my whole life. Amazing to see that it was an architectural feat of its time.
I was born in Florida and my mom never told me about this until now I was born in 2006 and was only two when I moved city so it 's pretty cool to learn about my own home town and see old pictures of my old child hood home.
This bridge was completed during the 5 years I lived in Bradenton i was only 8 when it was completed. The old span was left open and my grandparents and I went across many times. It was so cool to see the progress made each time we crossed.
Amazing how do you line up something that wieghs 54 tons is put up 100feet or more in the air and get an exact measurement of nine feet nine inches for four thousand foot main span. Always admired the engineers and Construction workers who build these incredible structures that serve people for generations.
Excellent documentary, it gives us a dimension of the quality of this work of civil engineering, I think that in those times earthquake resistant standards were not valued, and in the foundations of the old Sunshine bob graham skyway bridge, no protection elements were located to avoid that the ships will collide against these elements, I am a civil engineer from the city of Barranquilla, where a bridge was built over the Magdalena River, where its central part is cable-stayed, it is a bridge of more than 2 km long with two lanes per road, but good conclusions must be drawn from these errors.
I remember the day the bridge came down. I was 15, it is seared i to my memory. The old bridge had grates on it on the top. If it was wet, you would slip and slide. Pretty scary way up high..
You are such a lier, it was like any other bridge. If you go to fast you’d slide, if you have crappy tires you slide. Not a thing was wrong with the first bridge, the second is built even better cause of critics like you.
That was so sad that happened to the bridge in I remember that win happiness I was living in Bowling Green Kentucky I just got up win my Parents told me about the my prayers win out of those Familys. Lost there loves one .Thank You Beatrice Jane Belk from Tulsa Oklahoma.
I have no idea why a semi driver would cross the bridge in the left lane unless it is state law, however it doesn't take anything away from the beauty of the bridge and surroundings. I read that many find the bridge scary if you are one of them never go to Huston TX. and cross the Rainbow bridge on rt 87 in Jefferson County, if you do, take along an extra change of underwear and clothes as you will definitely need to change your soiled clothing. Their are much scarier bridges that in my opinion are not as well built as these two however that's another story. Good luck to all
I’m a lil country girl from Kentucky and i drove to Florida and crossed this bridge and i was so scared!! There was no way i could turn around. As I’m driving I’m thinking to myself... i just know that isn’t a bridge i have to cross 😭
I have crossed many of high-level bridges, but the one that gives me the "white knuckle syndrome" is the 3-lane parallel span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. That bridge has no shoulders, a reversible (a.k.a. "suicide") lane, and an errant accident can easily send a car through the rickety-looking sidewall barriers into the bay below. It's highest average point is 180 feet above the water, which is higher than the Sunshine Skyway.
@@jasongonzalez2856 hey brother a lot of us have those thoughts but we stay strong for another day! But I do know a woman that jumped from it. Only reason I asked.
The center span of the Mackinac Bridge is 3,800 feet, whereas the center span of the current Sunshine Skyway is 1,200 feet, thus Mackinac Bridge is more than twice as long as the Sunshine Skyway. Even with the approach spans added, the Sunshine Skyway (at 4.14 mi.) is still shorter than the Mackinac Bridge (at 4.995 mi.). Cable-stayed bridges, especially of the Sunshine Skyway's design, are typically used on bridges that have center spans that are usually 700 to 2,500 feet in length. Other examples of this design includes the nearly-identical Varina-Enon (James River) Bridge (for I-295) near Richmond, VA and the Senator William V. Roth (Chesapeake and Delaware Canal) Bridge (for the Delaware Rt. 1 Turnpike) between Wilmington and Dover, DE. Both bridges have center spans between 600 and 800 feet, but need high clearances and for the latter, have its main support towers as far away from shipping lanes as two different freighters brought down two bridges in the years leading up to WW2.
If Florida went to that great of lengths to build the Skyway Bridge, why didn't they do the same exact thing for The Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York
What makes you think they didn’t just because two planes hit them and they fell down don’t you think maybe they were bombs that detonated on 9:11 not just the planes
They lied about the construction of this bridge. It is impossible to have built it the way they did with the people involved. They did not interview a single minority, BLM, Antifa, female, LGBT, refugee, political prisoner, thespian dwarf, disabled person or special interest group representative engineer or contractor so I presume none were involved in the operation. Therefore the bridge is racist and discriminatory and must be torn down but it will probably fail soon anyway because it is such an inconsiderate construction.
@@nooby_noob6960 I don't think you commented enough 😂😂😂 I don't think I've ever seen someone so mad about a comment not even about them, you literally had a conversation with yourself man 😂😂😂
@@KD-lj2pj I actually think the first comment the person made saying the bridge is wrong and where are all the non white, dwarfs antifa, BLM....I think they were just joking around. Joke that went bad. I read it as someone trying to be funny
I was born in Bradenton in the late 90's and just found this documentary. I've never actually thought twice about the Skyway because it's been there my whole life. Amazing to see that it was an architectural feat of its time.
I was a crane operator on the 1st and second Contract. good times. Amy ~
I was born in Florida and my mom never told me about this until now I was born in 2006 and was only two when I moved city so it 's pretty cool to learn about my own home town and see old pictures of my old child hood home.
Oh you are a git lol🙏🏼My two twins would have been your age!💯
This bridge was completed during the 5 years I lived in Bradenton i was only 8 when it was completed. The old span was left open and my grandparents and I went across many times. It was so cool to see the progress made each time we crossed.
Seven Mile Bridge: "I'm the first match-casted segmental bridge."
New Sunshine Skyway Bridge: "Hold my beer!!!" 🍺
Thanks for posting this documentary.
Amazing how do you line up something that wieghs 54 tons is put up 100feet or more in the air and get an exact measurement of nine feet nine inches for four thousand foot main span. Always admired the engineers and Construction workers who build these incredible structures that serve people for generations.
A good work they did building new Sunshine Skyway bridge
Excellent documentary, it gives us a dimension of the quality of this work of civil engineering, I think that in those times earthquake resistant standards were not valued, and in the foundations of the old Sunshine bob graham skyway bridge, no protection elements were located to avoid that the ships will collide against these elements, I am a civil engineer from the city of Barranquilla, where a bridge was built over the Magdalena River, where its central part is cable-stayed, it is a bridge of more than 2 km long with two lanes per road, but good conclusions must be drawn from these errors.
I remember the day the bridge came down. I was 15, it is seared i to my memory. The old bridge had grates on it on the top. If it was
wet, you would slip and slide. Pretty scary way up high..
You are such a lier, it was like any other bridge. If you go to fast you’d slide, if you have crappy tires you slide. Not a thing was wrong with the first bridge, the second is built even better cause of critics like you.
@Egmont Because you are blaming a bridge for human error, and my great grandfather designed and supervised the build of both of the skyways.
@@BradleyAPrescott*liar*
@@jayskicksnfits9372ur mad
Amazing I do bridge work this is outstanding
That was so sad that happened to the bridge in I remember that win happiness I was living in Bowling Green Kentucky I just got up win my Parents told me about the my prayers win out of those Familys. Lost there loves one
.Thank You Beatrice Jane Belk from Tulsa Oklahoma.
ive rode the elevator in the north tower up to the red light at the very top back in the 1990s ..beautiful up there
That would have been an amazing experience
How did you get the chance
the elevator is awesome. i am one of the lucky people to have gone up there. land surveying
I build one out of legos because I live in st Petersburg and I love the sky way (:
I hope you one day join the FLDOT (Florida Department of transportation)
They need people like you.
don't know how these guys could work at that hieght...i'd have an issue driving on it...
I agree I hated driving across that bridge.
Amazing
Great place to fish
I heard it was against the law ???
heard this over the VHF tampa, we all looked at each other like did that just really happen???
I have no idea why a semi driver would cross the bridge in the left lane unless it is state law, however it doesn't take anything away from the beauty of the bridge and surroundings. I read that many find the bridge scary if you are one of them never go to Huston TX. and cross the Rainbow bridge on rt 87 in Jefferson County, if you do, take along an extra change of underwear and clothes as you will definitely need to change your soiled clothing. Their are much scarier bridges that in my opinion are not as well built as these two however that's another story. Good luck to all
Why doesn't Bill Graham blink at all?? Thats the million dollar question..
Must be related to Paul Bearer from Creature Feature back in the day.
I noticed that too, ,he dam sure didn't blink,,,he was serious about it, ,
I’m a lil country girl from Kentucky and i drove to Florida and crossed this bridge and i was so scared!! There was no way i could turn around. As I’m driving I’m thinking to myself... i just know that isn’t a bridge i have to cross 😭
I have crossed many of high-level bridges, but the one that gives me the "white knuckle syndrome" is the 3-lane parallel span of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. That bridge has no shoulders, a reversible (a.k.a. "suicide") lane, and an errant accident can easily send a car through the rickety-looking sidewall barriers into the bay below. It's highest average point is 180 feet above the water, which is higher than the Sunshine Skyway.
@@rwboa22 aww hell naw 🥴🥴🥴
@@rwboa22 Average higher yes, but the skyway reaches 200 feet at the top
This bridge is cool,I love crossing it and have seen people jump off of it unfortunately.😭
You’ve seen someone commit suicide jumping from it? A woman?
@@Skottink look,I thought to jump off years ago!seen a man jump!😭
@@jasongonzalez2856 hey brother a lot of us have those thoughts but we stay strong for another day! But I do know a woman that jumped from it. Only reason I asked.
They have put up like jumping fences
is this longer then the mackinaw bridge
The center span of the Mackinac Bridge is 3,800 feet, whereas the center span of the current Sunshine Skyway is 1,200 feet, thus Mackinac Bridge is more than twice as long as the Sunshine Skyway. Even with the approach spans added, the Sunshine Skyway (at 4.14 mi.) is still shorter than the Mackinac Bridge (at 4.995 mi.). Cable-stayed bridges, especially of the Sunshine Skyway's design, are typically used on bridges that have center spans that are usually 700 to 2,500 feet in length. Other examples of this design includes the nearly-identical Varina-Enon (James River) Bridge (for I-295) near Richmond, VA and the Senator William V. Roth (Chesapeake and Delaware Canal) Bridge (for the Delaware Rt. 1 Turnpike) between Wilmington and Dover, DE. Both bridges have center spans between 600 and 800 feet, but need high clearances and for the latter, have its main support towers as far away from shipping lanes as two different freighters brought down two bridges in the years leading up to WW2.
If Florida went to that great of lengths to build the Skyway Bridge, why didn't they do the same exact thing for The Twin Towers in Manhattan, New York
What makes you think they didn’t just because two planes hit them and they fell down don’t you think maybe they were bombs that detonated on 9:11 not just the planes
This is totally one sided, I worked for Misener Marine construction and they don't tell the truth about what we did.
Howard France what was that? I worked there too
@@Mik9mik I worked there from 1980 to 1996,as a Heavy Equipment Mechanic.
@@mik9mik627 I heard that rumor too. I worked out of the Tampa yard. Did a lot of traveling to different job sites.
@@howardfrance7350 funny how small the world is
They lied about the construction of this bridge. It is impossible to have built it the way they did with the people involved. They did not interview a single minority, BLM, Antifa, female, LGBT, refugee, political prisoner, thespian dwarf, disabled person or special interest group representative engineer or contractor so I presume none were involved in the operation. Therefore the bridge is racist and discriminatory and must be torn down but it will probably fail soon anyway because it is such an inconsiderate construction.
how can a bridge be racist
._.
@@nooby_noob6960 I don't think you commented enough 😂😂😂 I don't think I've ever seen someone so mad about a comment not even about them, you literally had a conversation with yourself man 😂😂😂
@@nooby_noob6960 well all white people claim to have black friends....wtf!!
@@KD-lj2pj I actually think the first comment the person made saying the bridge is wrong and where are all the non white, dwarfs antifa, BLM....I think they were just joking around. Joke that went bad. I read it as someone trying to be funny