Mackinac Bridge
This is an image set within the Bridgemeister collection.
| Bridge: | Mackinac Bridge |
| Location: | St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, Michigan, USA - Straits of Mackinac |
| Coordinates and Maps: | See related inventory record(s). |
| Image Set Contributor: | David Denenberg |
| Date of Images: | May 1999 |
| Related Suspension Bridge Inventory: | 1957 Mackinac (Mighty Mac) - St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, Michigan, USA |
| Related Image Lists: | All from David Denenberg All in Michigan All in USA All Vehicular Suspension Bridges |
| Credit: | All photos by David Denenberg, please do not reuse without permission. |
Too many of David Steinman's bridges don't have pedestrian walkways. This is what I was thinking as I drove across the Mackinac Bridge in 1999. For many years, the Mackinac bridge held the world's record for longest under-cable length (the length from anchorage to anchorage) at 8,614 feet. Each side span (from anchorage to tower) is longer than the main span of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Taking exception to my comment (above) about the Mackinac Bridge lacking pedestrian walkways, Scott Wendt wrote me: " I noticed your lament about the lack of pedestrian walkways. Please note a couple of things about this bridge: 1. It was built for the very economical sum (even for the 1950's) of $99 million and change. No frills. 2. It was a modified design. Originally, the Authority considered an extended Tacoma-Narrows design. After seeing the results of that design, but still needing a lightweight structure, they chose to create a very narrow deck with 52% of it steel grating. The wind blows right up through the deck and is sometimes strong enough to lift cars causing closures of the center grated lanes. This is not a pedestrian friendly environment. 3. The traffic demand on the bridge is enormous. Considering it ties two towns of less than 10,000 people and that there are probably less than 100,000 people living within 300 miles on the north end, it still carries up to 600,000 cars a month despite lane closures and bad weather conditions. For hikers all is not lost however. The Bridge Authority recognizes that the only way to appreciate the immensity, and feel the living breathing structure that is the 'Mighty Mac,' to feel the strength that has stood up to 100 mph winds, hurricane-force seas that have in the last 50 years twice broken ships the size of the Queen Mary, is to stand on her deck and walk her length. All 5 miles from civilization to the northern shore. Every Labor Day, in celebration of those who built her and occasionally gave their life so that she may have hers, 50,000+ people walk across that span."
An approaching freighter to give you some idea of the size of the bridge...
