THE MACKINAW BRIDGE

THE MACKINAW BRIDGE

This bridge connects the upper peninsulas. This bridge connects two cities St. Ignace to the north and Mackinaw City to the south. The bridge goes over the Straits of Mackinaw. The bridge also has two different names. It is called:

A. Big Mac
B. Mighty Mac

It is the most traveled bridge is the western world.

They had thought of building in the 1880’s. This bridge consists of four lanes. The construction of the bridge began in May of 1954 and was finished in November of 1957. It also had opened the same month.

To tell how long a bridge is by the span of the towers. In 1958 they had was christened. Before this bridge was opened the Golden Gate Bridge was the longest. The Golden Gate is 8,614 feet. There are longer bridges. But they are in the eastern world. Since the Mackinaw Bridge has longer lead ups, (from shoreline to shoreline). The Mackinaw Bridge is much longer than five miles long. The total span of the bridge is 3,800 feet. Which makes it the 3rd. longest bridge span in the United States.

The “Algonquin Indians had called the Straits of Mackinaw (Michilimackinac). These Indians would travel back and forth through the straits in trading. And this was the end of the line for these Indians.

Ferries would carry settlers back and forth across the straits.

Year round boat service would end in the winter months as the water would be frozen over. In the early 1920’s, the Congress had put in an order for a state highway.

That is when more people would be using the ferries.

That’s when the enthusiasm to build a bridge was even stronger than it had been before.

The upper and lower parts would be able to become one.

In the early l920’s, the ferries were becoming more expensive to operate.

This bridge was postponed for awhile because of the war.

In 1950 they had a group of people that were selected to build this bridge.

In May of 1954, the people who were to build this bridge, was awarded 44 million dollars to build this steel structure. When finished the total cost of this bridge would cost 100,000 million dollars.

The millionth crossing of the bridge was in June of 1998.

The fifth anniversary was held on November of 2007.

The design of this bridge was taken from the (Tacoma Narrows Bridge). Which had failed in the 1940s. Because of the wind velocity. In order from this happening again, it was ordered that future bridges would have deeper steel structures and a steel grid to handle the wind gusts. All of this is on the Mackinaw Bridge. And this bridge can withstand wind gusts up to 150 miles per hour.

The Mackinaw Bridge is also a toll bridge. They want to raise the bridge rate from $3.00 per car to $4.00 per car. And trucks from $4.00 per truck to $5.00 per truck, to create a 300 million refurbishing of the bridge.

On Labor Day they have a ritual. That’s when they close down two lanes on either side and they walk across the bridge as for the ending of summer tourism.

The height of the bridge is 200 feet above the water’s surface.

The speed limit on the bridge is 45 miles per hour for cars and 20 miles per hour for trucks. And they must keep a distance of 500 feet away from the vehicle in front of them.

People who are afraid to drive across the bridge can have someone else drive their vehicle across for them. Motorcycles are allowed on the bridge, but regular bicycles are not.