The cruise industry’s megaships are going to cost Florida’s west coast billions of dollars. A new state study laid out some options on what the state can do now that new cruise ships don’t fit under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge.
State officials worry that in ten to fifteen years Tampa Bay’s robust cruise industry could run into some trouble. To get to Tampa’s port, cruise ships have to pass under the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which stretches between Pinellas and Manatee Counties. But, the deck of that bridge is about 185 feet high and new cruise ships are being built as tall as 225 feet.
Richard Biter works at the Florida Department of Transportation. His new report outlined the vast economic effects these new ships could have on the Tampa Bay region.
“Even as we speak today, the Tampa Bay area is losing out on any mega cruise ship opportunity,” he said. “So, there are current ships that are out there that can’t call on Tampa Bay either as a home port of port of call.”
Biter’s report also listed options of what can be done to keep that industry viable in the area. He said he looked into raising the deck of the bridge, but it will cost billions and is virtually impossible. Biter said it’s more feasible to just tear down the bridge and build a new one, which could also cost around $2 billion.
The cheapest option includes building a brand new cruise terminal further west, but that could pose environmental and political issues. Biter said the final option is to do nothing, which is something the report looked at, too. He said the state is not making recommendations, and is leaving it up to local governments.
