Mighty Mac connects Michigan

Crossing the Mackinac Bridge can be traumatic for some drivers—so much so that the Mackinac Bridge Authority helpfully provides a “Drivers Assistance Program” for motorists too nervous to drive their own cars across the world’s third largest suspension bridge.

The 8,614-foot-long bridge soars about 200 feet above the Straits of Mackinac at the midpoint of its span between Michigan’s Lower and Upper Peninsulas, and the deck at the center span can move as much as 35 feet from side to side when buffeted by high winds.

It’s not impossible for high winds to sweep a car over the side of the bridge and into the water, as happened in 1989 when high winds swept Leslie Anne Plouhar’s 1987 Yugo over the bridge railing. I remember reading about Plouhar’s plummet to death at the time, but such instances are rare.

I usually prefer to leave driving across the bridge to Tim.

I’m not nervous about the drive. Rather, I’m fascinated with bridges and love opening the car’s sunroof open so I can shoot photos straight up at the bridge supporting towers. Tim jokes about my large collection of through-the-sunroof bridge photos, but I enjoy seeing the resulting shots.

Big Mac or Mighty Mac, as many call the Mackinac Bridge, always strikes me as an especially beautiful bridge when we make the crossing on a clear summer day.

The bridge also figures in the designation of those who live south of, or under, the bridge in the less than complimentary term “trolls” by some of those living north, or above, the bridge.

I prefer to see the bridge as a strong connection between our two peninsulas. Reducing the crossing time between the peninsulas from an average of 1 ½ to 2 ½ hours, depending on the season and wait times for boats, to a ten-minute trip meant increased pleasure and business traffic for the more remote and sparsely populated Upper Peninsula. The bridge’s current 6,000-cars-per-hour capacity, compared to the earlier system of transportation via the state ferry service limited to 462 cars per hour, meant the end of lines of waiting cars stretching as far as 17 miles and waiting periods as long as 19 hours for a bridge crossing in the busiest part of the year.

Bridge fans should check out the Mackinac Bridge Authority’s site for this collection of photos chronicling Big Mac’s 1954-57 construction or free e-cards with views of the bridge from several different vantage points and in different seasons.

Bridge regulations normally prohibit pedestrians from crossing the bridge, requiring them to pay a small fee to use the Bridge Authority’s transport services for the crossing. The one exception to the rule is the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk, which takes place every Labor Day. This tradition, now in its 52^nd year, draws thousands of folks who generally follow Michigan’s governor over the 5-mile trek between St. Ignace in the Upper Peninsula to Mackinaw City at the southern end of the bridge in the Lower Peninsula

Yes, you spell Mackinaw City is with a “w”, use a “c” when spelling the Mackinac Bridge and pronounce both spellings as mack-i-naw. Many attribute the spelling discrepancy to European explorers’ mangling of the original Native American names and the attempt to Anglicize the names.

Whatever.

Michigan’s Mighty Mac is a beautiful bridge no matter how you spell it!

© Dominique King 2009

Comments

[Becks Davis]

I haven't been on the Mackinac Bridge since I was about 14. I really want to take Andy up there, our list of places to visit is getting very long.

My Mom is terrified of big bridges, I just tell her to close her eyes. In the end though, she's missing out.

[Dominique]

Becks-I'll bet Andy would like it Up North. You need to go soon!

Big Mac seems to make a lot of folks apprehensive, although I love the drive across.