yeah, it would be hard stupid expensive to design something that could absorb or resist that kind of energy
There are concrete fenders, aka "dolphins," that are typically installed around major supports in the water on newer projects (i.e. the replacement Sunshine Skyway Bridge). I heard elsewhere that they might not have been installed around this bridge because the supports were clear of the main shipping channel. However it doesn't appear that there was much around the bridge supports in Google Earth views. The adjacent power lines that were constructed in the past few years appear to have a better fender system.
