The Mackinac Bridge, a 5-mile feat of engineering that connects the larger Lower Peninsula of Michigan to the Upper Peninsula, is more than just a passage across the Straits of Mackinac (pronounced Mack-in-awe)—it is a destination in and of itself.
The Setting of the Bridge
Michigan is the only state in the United States that consists of two complete peninsulas – the Lower Peninsula and the Upper Peninsula, or the U.P., as it is nicknamed by locals.
This unique geography contributes to another unique characteristic of Michigan: it has the longest freshwater coastline of any land entity in the world.
This wonderful coast, which causes Michigan to be a major tourist attraction, also causes a unique transportation problem. Until 1957, when the Mackinac Bridge was completed, the only way to get from one part of Michigan to the other was to take a boat or ferry across the turbulent Straits of Mackinac—or drive all the way around Lake Michigan, through Wisconsin to get to the other side.
History of the Bridge
It was in the 1880’s that talk of a bridge across the five-mile span of the Straits first began to percolate. It seemed like a wild idea at first. Then, in 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was built and the idea became a little less preposterous. That same year a shop owner in St. Ignace, Michigan, where the northern portion of the bridge begins, is said to have printed an artist’s conception of the Brooklyn Bridge in an one of his advertisements with the caption, “Proposed Bridge across the Straits of Mackinac.”
In the meantime, the only way to accommodate an increasing flow of traffic to the Upper Peninsula was by private boats and ferries. In 1923 the state of Michigan began a state-run ferry system—but it wasn’t long before that system was bogged down by demand. In the height of the summer tourist season the lines of cars waiting for a turn on the ferry could stretch 16 miles and the wait could be up to ten hours! In winter the very high winds, storms and ice made crossing impossible, so ferry service was not available.
After decades of political and economic challenges, and several outrageous alternate ideas (like a floating tunnel), construction finally began on May 7, 1954.
Design and Construction of the Bridge
Famous engineer David B. Steinman designed the Mackinac Bridge, using ideas from past successful, and not-so-successful suspension bridges, like the infamous Tacoma Narrows Bridge (or Galloping Gertie, as it came to be known) bridge disaster of 1940. Innovative design features to allow air flow through the structure were created to contend with the very high winds that can storm through the Straits.
The Mackinac Bridge took four summers to build. Just as the ferry service that it was designed to replace, the fierce Straits winter proved to be too much of an impediment for year-round work.
Five men died during construction. Two of them, only in their twenties, died on their first day of work when a catwalk collapsed. Two others died from falls, and one died from a case of the “bends.” All five are memorialized on a plaque at the bridge’s southern end.
The “Mighty Mac,” as it came to be known, officially opened for business on June 27th, 1958. Then Michigan Governor, G. Mennen Williams, led a walk across the bridge—a precursor to the Annual Bridge Walk, which takes place every Labor Day weekend.
Stats of the Bridge
Comparing the bridge to other suspension bridges is a bit tricky, and depends on just how one chooses to define the parameters.
When opened, it was advertised as the longest suspension bridge in the world, if you measured the distance between its two anchorage points. The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco was actually longer if you measure the distance of the suspension between the two towers. In 2009, the “Big Mac” now only qualifies as the longest suspension bridge (between anchorages) in the Western Hemisphere.
The bridge is so big that it takes 7 years to paint it in its entirety. When it is finished, it is time to start all over again!
The Mackinac Bridge saw its 150 millionth vehicle crossing on September 6, 2009.
How to See the Mighty Mac
There are a number of ways to view the Mackinac Bridge. One of the best is to drive across it, which is, after all, what it was designed for. The five-mile drive lasts long enough to view the details of the towers and cables. The vistas of the coastline, Fort Michilimackinac on the southern end, and nearby Mackinac Island are spectacular.
Many people flock to the area on Labor Day weekend to participate in a rare opportunity to walk across the bridge—the only time this is allowed. Two lanes of traffic are closed down. Buses provide transportation to the northern end of the bridge, where the walk begins. It is, by tradition, led by Michigan’s current governor.
Various groups use the bridge as a sort of ceremonial parade ground. Once a year, for example, a gathering of antique farm tractors gather in Mackinaw City, parade through town, and then cross (slowly) over the bridge to the other side.
Every year the International Ironworkers Festival is held in Mackinaw City. This gathering, which includes competitive activities, honors the tremendous feat of the construction of the famous Mackinac Bridge by brother ironworkers.
If your imagination is captured by the history and sight of this amazing feat of construction, then you too will want to plan a trip to see the Mackinac Bridge in person.
For more information:
Visiting the Mackinac Area in the Fall
The Island Book Store, for books about the bridge
