Pinellas Bayway

The Pinellas Bayway System is a series of bridges on two state roads in Pinellas County, Florida. It is a toll road complex maintained and operated by the Florida Department of Transportation. It also is compatible with the SunPass ETC system currently in use on all other FDOT-owned toll roads. The Pinellas Bayway consists of: State Road 682, an east–west divided highway connecting SR 699 on a Gulf of Mexico barrier island near St. Pete Beach, Florida to Interstate 275 (SR 93) and US 19 (SR 55) in St. Petersburg. The 3.7-mile-long State Road 682 passes over three bridges (toll: 75 cents) as it crosses the entrance of Boca Ciega Bay. State Road 679, a hook-shaped north–south road with a four-lane divided northern half (between SR 682 and Tierra Verde) and a two-lane southern half serving Fort DeSoto Park at the tip of the "hook" (50 cents toll). Motorists traveling the entire length of SR 679 traverse two bridges. The two State Roads intersect on Isla del Sol midway between St. Petersburg and St. Pete Beach. Until 2013, both highways had drawbridges in addition to low-level causeways in their configuration, and SR 679 retains this configuration. Attempts to replace the drawbridges with bridges of a different design in recent years met resistance from both nearby residents, yachtsmen, and the local chapter of the NAACP. As of 2006, studies were being conducted by FDOT as to how the bridges would be replaced and how much they would cost. The low-level causeway and bascule-type drawbridge on SR 682 were replaced in 2013–2014 by a new high-level causeway without a movable span.