The Mighty Mac: A Piece of Michigan

Have you ever driven in the left lane on the Mackinac Bridge? Have you walked it on Labor Day, looking at the water 200 feet below?  While the “Mighty Mac’s” steel grating is unnerving for some, it’s kept the bridge safe, sturdy and aerodynamic above the windy Straits of Mackinac for nearly 30 years. When the grates are changed out, the old steel is set on a trailer and hauled away. But where do these Michigan relics go?  They become lamps, knives and keychains. They get shaped into coat hangers, necklaces, and tables. Some Mackinac steel has even made it to the South Pole. In episode seven of Yes Michigan we’ll hear about the many lives of the Mighty Mac, and the creative Michiganders who are repurposing the bridge. We’ll meet a steeplejack who climbs all over the iconic structure, and a mechanic who took a piece of Michigan to the ends of the earth. We’ll explore what the bridge means to those who love it most, and why so many people want to have a piece of their own.