Mackinac Bridge
| Mackinac Bridge | |
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| Coordinates | 45°48′58″N 84°43′37″W / 45.816°N 84.727°WCoordinates: 45°48′58″N 84°43′37″W / 45.816°N 84.727°W |
| Carries | 4 lanes of   I-75 / GLCT
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| Crosses | Straits of Mackinac |
| Locale | St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, Michigan |
| Other name(s) | Mighty Mac or Big Mac |
| Maintained by | Mackinac Bridge Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 26,372 feet (8,038 m) |
| Width | 68.6 feet (20.9 m) (total width) 54 feet (16 m) (road width) 38.1 feet (11.6 m) (depth) |
| Height | 552 feet (168 m) (tower height); 200 feet (61 m) (deck height) |
| Longest span | 3,800 feet (1,158 m) |
| Clearance below | 155 feet (47 m) |
| History | |
| Designer | David B. Steinman |
| Opened | November 1, 1957 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 11,600 |
| Toll | $2.00 per axle for passenger vehicles ($4.00 per car). $5.00 per axle for motor homes, and commercial vehicles. |
The Mackinac Bridge connects St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.
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The Mackinac Bridge (/ˈmækᵻnɔː/ MAK-in-aw) is a suspension bridge spanning the Straits of Mackinac to connect the Upper and Lower Peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. Opened in 1957, the 26,372-foot (8.038 km) bridge (familiarly known as "Big Mac" and "Mighty Mac") is the world's 17th-longest main span and the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere. The Mackinac Bridge is part of Interstate 75 and the Lakes Michigan and Huron components of the Great Lakes Circle Tours across the straits; it is also a segment of the U.S. North Country National Scenic Trail. The bridge connects the city of St. Ignace on the north end with the village of Mackinaw City on the south.
Envisioned since the 1880s, the bridge was designed by the engineer David B. Steinman and completed in 1957 only after many decades of struggles to begin construction.
The bridge opened on November 1, 1957, connecting two peninsulas linked for decades by ferries. A year later, the bridge was formally dedicated as the "world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages", allowing a superlative comparison to the Golden Gate Bridge, which had a longer center span between towers, and the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, which had an anchorage in the middle.
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Wikipedia