The future of skyway fishing pier

[stuckintherocks]

Is there any info out about what the future of skyway pier is ? To the best of my knowledge They closed off the east section because of damage, as the bridge is only designed to last about 50 years.. i remember reading an article that the western side was about 10 years newer which would now put the western bridge also at risk of being shut down as it has hit its 50 or 51 years, this year.. I could be wrong about all of this as I’m basing my information off a couple articles I’ve read over the years but soon our skyway fishing pier may come to an end…

[carlf]

I have not heard anything about shutting down the pier due to age.

[tesseract]

Apr 11, 2023 6:24:06 GMT -5 carlf said:

I have not heard anything about shutting down the pier due to age.

I've heard this too that the bridges are designed with a limited lifespan. Here is all I could find online from searching google:

www.tampabay.com/archive/2008/08/22/skyway-pier-to-lose-2-spans/

docs.lib.purdue.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1429&context=icdcs

Granted, if the eastern spans have a limited lifespan, so should the remaining spans also. Engineers build projects and have to determine such things when they do all their design calculations. Some bridges over saltwater can last up to 100 years though, so I'm not sure if the bridges will still be able to be fished on for the rest of this century or not. 

[tesseract]

From the tampabay.com article:

www.tampabay.com/archive/2008/08/22/skyway-pier-to-lose-2-spans/

Engineers determined that the eastern spans, built in 1954, would be unable to handle the traffic of Labor Day weekend, though they may close even sooner if work crews finish early. Crews began creating lanes for two-way traffic on the western spans Thursday.

The western spans were built 17 years later and remain safe for the time being, said Kris Carson, a Department of Transportation spokeswoman. But when asked whether the entire pier would eventually shut down, Carson said "it's hard to say."

According to cost estimates, keeping the western sides open an additional 10 years - beyond the 50-year lifespan - would cost $10-million. Plans are under way to find funding, but right now the future is uncertain.

Apparently, the western spans also have a 50-year lifespan and can only be extended once, but for an additional 10 years at a hefty price of $10 million.

I doubt any further time extensions can occur without massive studies & structural assessments. 😣