44 years later: Thursday marks tragic anniversary of 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster
TAMPA, Fla. - Thursday marks 44 years since one of the worst tragedies in Tampa Bay history when the Sunshine Skyway Bridge was struck and collapsed.
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On May 9, 1980, the Freighter Summit Venture careened into one of the support beams on the bridge, demolishing part of the bridge.
Eight vehicles, including a Greyhound bus, plummeted 150 feet into the bay, killing 35 people in the catastrophe.
READ: 'This was just unthinkable': Remembering the deadly Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster
The new ‘Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge’ was rebuilt seven years later with the help of the former Florida governor. It featured new safety bumpers in the water to better protect the structure.
A car precariously balanced, just 14 inches short of plummeting 140 feet into Tampa Bay, Florida, after the freighter 'Summit Venture' rammed into the Sunshine Skyway Bridge during a thunderstorm, killing 34 people. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)
Earlier this year, a freighter ship smashed into Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge after losing power, killing six, harkening reminders of the Bay Area's tragedy.
READ: Baltimore bridge collapse echoes 1980 Sunshine Skyway Bridge disaster in Tampa Bay
It is unknown how long it will take to rebuild the significant portion of bridge that collapsed in March.
9th May 1980: Debris from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge perched on the bow of the freighter Summit Venture after the vessel rammed the bridge during a thunderstorm at Tampa Bay, Florida, causing 34 deaths. (Photo by Keystone/Getty Images)