Cycling, Fishing Communities Fight to Save Bridge

The county wants to tear it down. But one citizen group wants to save the Friendship Trail Bridge — or the second Gandy Bridge — before it comes tumbling down.

Kevin Thurman, a Tampa marketing consultant, is spearheading a movement to save the 2.6-mile bridge that links St. Petersburg to downtown Tampa.

He wants to see it turned into an iconic linear park for bicyclists, runners and fishermen through a public-private partnership with Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.

"It's a phenomenal idea that could have a tremendous impact on the cycling community," said Jordan Miller, owner of  in Seminole Heights. "There aren't many areas with this much space away from traffic. ... They've already spent millions building trail systems and infrastructure leading up to this bridge so it fits right in for those who want to commute from one city to the other."

"The expensive part of building a bridge is driving the pillars into the ground," said Thurman. "Why throw the baby out with the bath water when all this bridge needs is new deck sections? The estimated cost of the project is around $18 million..."

The only portion of funds the proposed project takes from taxpayers is the $5.2 million the counties already planned on using to destroy the bridge, which has been closed to vehicular traffic since 2008. The remaining $13.7 million needed for the project would be raised by seeking out investors and through the sale of naming rights for the bridge's 252 deck sections in need of replacement.

The Hillsborough County Commission was set to vote on demolition last month, but delayed it until May 16 to allow the citizen group time to organize a plan.

In 30 days, they have developed the basis of a plan, from funding to potential business opportunities and even a design of what the bridge would look like after its completion in 2017.

At a conference held at the foot of the bridge on Wednesday, May 9, the commission rewarded the citizen group with an extension on getting the presentation together and delayed the vote again until June 6.

"The commission is eager to work with our partners in Pinellas County and have been really impressed with the work done by this group of citizens," Hillsborough County Commissioner Mark Sharpe said. "I'm hoping that this is something we can do and I want to offer my support for this project. People in Florida ought to be out biking, walking and enjoying the outdoors."

The project is modeled after similar ideas around the country such as the High Line in New York City; although, none of the others are as expansive.

A big selling point for the bridge is the effect it could have on promoting healthy lifestyles in the Tampa Bay Area.

With the counties already working on plans for a pedestrian and cyclist bridge for the Courtney Campbell Causeway amongst other community projects, the Friendship Trail Bridge project is something the citizens group believes is just as necessary.

"With the potential for special events and all this bridge could offer, it fits right in with what the other projects around the county are trying to do," said Ken Cowart, an architect helping the citizens group. "You could have a 5K across the bay every year. If you tear it apart, it's gone, so now is the time to act on this project and make something of it."