Structural Concerns Prompt Partial Closure of South Skyway Fishing Pier
A large portion of the south Skyway Fishing Pier State Park, located on the Manatee County side of the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, will close indefinitely beginning Monday, October 27, due to structural safety concerns.
According to a notice on the Florida State Parks website, which is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), vehicle and pedestrian access beyond the bait shop will no longer be permitted following recent structural inspections by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Vehicles may continue to access the pier up to a point just south of the bait shop, which will remain open.
An FDOT spokesperson confirmed the closure applies only to the Manatee County side of the pier. The north Skyway Fishing Pier, located in Pinellas County, remains fully open to the public. FDEP officials stated that the structure was not originally designed as a park facility or fishing pier, and certain repairs may not be feasible.
The south pier spans approximately 2 miles, with the closure affecting about 0.6 miles of it. Further details about the inspection and specific structural deficiencies have not been released.
The Skyway Fishing Pier, created from the remnants of the original Sunshine Skyway Bridge destroyed in the 1980 disaster that claimed 35 lives, has long been a popular site for anglers. The original bridge opened in 1954 and was expanded in 1969 before being replaced by the current structure in 1987.
Local nonprofit Friends of the Pelicans Inc., which assists injured and entangled pelicans along the pier, noted that the area slated for closure is where many birds are most often hooked and difficult to rescue.
The Skyway Fishing Pier State Park remains open 24 hours a day, year-round. Entry is $4 per vehicle plus $4 per adult. Anglers must also complete an online educational course through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission before fishing on the pier.
