Florida is shutting down a section of the Sunshine Skyway pier. There are issues
A stretch of Skyway Fishing Pier State Park on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge is shutting down indefinitely.
The Florida State Parks website, run by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, says about a half-mile of the nearly two-mile south fishing pier over Tampa Bay will close to the public beginning Monday, Oct. 27.
“Following recent structural inspections conducted by the Florida Department of Transportation, vehicle and pedestrian access beyond the bait shop is no longer allowed at Skyway Fishing Pier State Park,” the notice on the website states. “Vehicles may continue onto the pier up to a point just south of the bait shop, which will remain open. Visitors should adhere to all posted signage.”
A spokesperson for the FDOT confirmed that the shutdown only applies to the Manatee County side of the pier. The entire north side of the Skyway Fishing Pier remains open to the public.
“Because the structure was not originally designed as a park facility or fishing pier, some repairs may not be feasible. Visitor safety remains our top priority,” the state environment agency said in a statement.
What to know about the Sunshine Skyway pier and bridge
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 people, the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was replaced with the current bridge, and part of the old bridge was turned into a fishing pier.
Friends of the Pelicans Inc., a local nonprofit that rescues entangled pelicans on the Skyway Fishing Pier, posted about the closing on its Facebook on Thursday.
“This is huge for our pelicans ... the last mile, which is what they will be closing permanently, is where most of the fisherman want to be and is where most of the pelicans get hooked. It also is extremely difficult to rescue them that far out into Tampa Bay,” the post states.
“They said they are closing that section because it is deteriorating, so this most likely would have happened eventually, but I can’t help but think that all of those calls and emails made it happen sooner than later,” the post added.
The Skyway Fishing Pier is open 24 hours, 365 days a year for $4 per vehicle, plus $4 per adult. The Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission also requires anglers to pass an online educational course before fishing on the Skyway.
