FL To Light Skyway Bridge In Ukrainian Flag Colors Friday: FDOT

FLORIDA — The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, which passes through Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas counties, will be lit up in blue and yellow — the colors of the Ukrainian flag — starting Friday night, said Kris Carson, a public information representative with the Florida Department of Transportation.

State transportation officials made the decision to ceremonially light the four-lane, cable-stayed bridge after receiving letters from commissions in Hillsborough, Manatee and Pinellas encouraging the support of Ukraine as Russia invades the country.

“In response to the atrocities occurring in Ukraine at the hands of Russian invades, the Pinellas County Commission stands with citizens here locally and around the world in supporting the Ukrainian people,” Charlie Justice, chair of the Pinellas County Board of County Commissioners, write in a letter submitted to Carson on Monday. “We support the request to light the bridge in the blue and yellow colors of the Ukrainian flag. We hope this will be one more sign that the American people are unified in this cause.”

Kimberly Overman, chair of the Hillsborough County Board of County Commissioners, and Scott Hopes, the Manatee County commissioner, both submitted letters of support on Wednesday, as well.

“The Board of County Commissioners and County Administration has no objections to the request for lighting the Sunshine Skyway blue and yellow, the colors of the Ukrainian flag, in support of the people of Ukraine,” Hopes wrote.

Carson said the bridge is lit up nightly in different colors and themes. The Sunshine Skyway’s weekly lighting schedule is:

• Monday: Waves
• Tuesday: Elegant Sparkle
• Wednesday: Warm Gateway
• Thursday: Waves
• Friday: Verdant Green
• Saturday: Sunset Sunrise
• Sunday: Purple Majestic

The bridge also gets lit up in various colors for certain holidays and special tributes.

An image of the bridge lit in colors people claimed was a tribute to Ukraine was shared across social media earlier this week, but Carson said she thinks “people saw the Waves theme on Monday, which has a lot of blue colors in it, and just assumed it was for Ukraine (with the cables being painted yellow).”