Gov. Ron DeSantis has provided a massive update on Tampa Bay’s Sunshine Skyway Fishing Pier.
DeSantis on Thursday said the south pier will be replaced with a new structure built next to the damaged one. He added that the north pier will be improved to extend its lifespan by two decades.
“This has been a major place for a lot of people,” DeSantis said during a press conference to announce he signed a bill that blocks the building of a cruise ship terminal in Manatee County.
“We’re aiming to have this project completed expeditiously so people can once again enjoy this great recreational attraction.”
The original Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which connects St. Petersburg to Manatee County, was damaged, replaced, then converted into what the state advertises as the longest fishing pier in the world.
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But 2024’s Hurricane Milton damaged the pier again, DeSantis said.
While DeSantis said it draws troves of anglers, “it's also a popular recreational spot for photography, kite boarding, kayaking and just enjoying the sights and sounds of Florida's beautiful Gulf Coast," he noted.
The fishing pier is technically broken into two pieces, with a north pier on the Pinellas County side and a south pier on the Manatee County side.
Following a Florida Department of Transportation inspection, the state shut down a big chunk of the south pier last year. The pier is part of the state park system.
He said work had already begun to enhance parking and widen seawall sidewalks. Demolition of the south pier and the north pier’s unused, damaged portions will start later in the spring.
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This story was produced by WUSF as part of a statewide journalism initiative funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
