A report released Friday by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) identified the Sunshine Skyway Bridge among 68 over-water bridges nationwide that require immediate vulnerability assessments.

The recommendation is part of an NTSB report on the March 26, 2024, incident in which the container ship Dali struck and collapsed the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore Harbor, killing six construction workers.

The Sunshine Skyway, which opened to traffic in 1987, was built before the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) established its “acceptable risk levels” in 1991.

Other bridges on the list include the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco), Chesapeake Bay Bridge (Maryland), Talmadge Bridge (Savannah, Georgia), Verrazano-Narrows Bridge (New York), Brooklyn Bridge (New York), George Washington Bridge (New York), and Napoleon Bonaparte Bridge (Jacksonville, Florida).

The NTSB emphasized that inclusion on the list does not mean these bridges are at immediate risk of collapse but recommended that bridge owners evaluate whether they meet AASHTO’s acceptable risk levels.

Friday’s investigative update noted that the collapsed Key Bridge in Maryland exceeded the acceptable risk threshold for critical bridges by nearly 30 times, according to AASHTO guidelines. Preliminary findings suggest the Dali suffered severe power-system failures, leading to a sudden loss of power before the collision.

The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge was constructed following the May 9, 1980, disaster when the freighter Summit Venture was blown off course in a sudden storm and struck the bridge’s western span. The impact caused vehicles, including a Greyhound bus, to plunge 150 feet into Tampa Bay, killing 35 people.

The replacement bridge, built at a cost of $244 million, was designed with reinforced safety measures, including large concrete-and-stone “dolphins” strategically placed to deflect errant vessels. AASHTO’s guidelines were developed in part as a response to this disaster.

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