The Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge is known to locals as the Sunshine Skyway Bridge or more casually the Skyway. (Daniel Robert Graham is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 38th governor of Florida from 1979 to 1987 and a United States senator from Florida from 1987 to 2005.) The bridge spans Tampa Bay, Florida with a total length of 21,877ft. It is part of Interstate 275 (I-275) and U.S. Route 19 (US 19), connecting St. Petersburg in Pinellas County and Terra Ceia in Manatee County, Florida, passing over the waters of Pinellas County, Hillsborough County and Manatee County, Florida. Construction of the current bridge began in 1982, and the completed bridge was dedicated on February 7, 1987. It is the tallest bridge in Florida. It is 430 feet tall at the highest point to allow tall cruise ships to go under as they enter Tampa Bay.