It was an amazing 2019 season on Mackinac Island. We would not have had so much fun without you joining us this year, so thank you for your support during this season!
Today’s blog post is about one of the ways that many people get to Mackinac Island - by crossing the Mackinac Bridge! Here are some fun facts and figures that were gathered by the Mackinac Bridge Authority that we wanted to share with you.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority shares the history of the bridge here. In 1884, when the experiment to offer a round the year ferry service failed, it was decided that either a tunnel or bridge needed to be built. It took many years of deciding the best plans, how the bridge would be funded, etc. to make The Mackinac Bridge come to life, but now that we have it - it has made travel so much easier!
During the month of August 2019, it was reported that over 600,000 vehicles crossed the Mackinac Bridge!
Some quick facts about the Mackinac Bridge:
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It’s total length is 5 miles or 26,372 feet.
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The length of the suspension bridge is 8,614 feet.
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The length of Main Span (between Main Towers) is 3,800 feet.
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Total, the bridge is 42,000 miles worth of wire in the main cables, which weigh 11,840 tons. The total weight of the bridge is 1,024,500 tons.
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There are 1,016,600 total steel bolts in the bridge.It took 85,000 blueprints when building the bridge.
Some fun dates regarding the Mackinac Bridge:
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The preliminary plans / estimates to build the bridge were completed in March 1953.
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The bridge construction began on May 7th, 1954.
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The bridge officially became open to traffic on November 1, 1957, with a dedication ceremony following in June 1958. On June 25th, 1998, a little over 40 years after the bridge was completed, the 100 millionth crossing took place.
We hope that you enjoyed some of these fun facts about the Mackinac Bridge. Share these fun facts with your friends and family next time you cross the bridge on your way to Mackinac Island!