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Mackinaw BridgeUnder the Bridge - in March
"A Troll's Eye View"
Looking north toward yooperland - the upper peninsula of Michigan. The Straits of Mackinac Bridge was an engineering marvel when it opened in 1957. I find it interesting that the bridge fare for regular automobiles was $3.85 when it opened - a considerable sum of money when hamburgers were .20 cents and you could buy 5 gallons of gasoline for a buck. The toll was lowered to $1.50 in the late 1960s, when the basic bonds for the bridge were paid off. As of 2008, the fare is all the way up to $3.25 - still a relative bargain, all things considered!
Essentially the same view as above - but in June.
Here in the Upper Peninsula, we know it simply as "the Bridge." People ask, "How far do you live from the Bridge?" Or, "Life changed in the U.P. when the Bridge was built."
The Bridge was built between 1954 and 1957. It is a little over five miles long, and at the time of its construction, cost $100 million to built. In the center of the Strait, the Bridge rises 150 feet above the water. The central towers reach a height of 552 feet above the water. It still can be a little bit scary to drive across the Bridge, especially on a windy day. If you are feeling just too white-knuckled to drive safely across, ask one of the toll-clerks; they can provide a driver who will steer your vehicle across.
Oh, bridge of many faces! Wonder of my world, span of ages.
(Summer 2008 - working on the Bridge - traffic one lane in each direction - next to the rail while heading south, on the grate while going north!)
