February 28, 2024 • 19 mins
How do you pronounce Mackinac? Well, it's not how you’d think, and that’s just one of the reasons we’re discussing the Mackinac Bridge on this special episode of Trucking Up History, presented by H&M Trucking. We’ll dive into the controversy, building plans, and some unfortunate mishaps that contributed to the construction of one of trucking’s most hated bridges.
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(00:00):
What's Up Cheese Bags?
Welcome to another episode of Trucking Up History presented by H and M Trucking.
We love doing these little jaunts through history with you to learn about the roads that you drive on and how they came to be.
And today we are going to address that one up in Michigan that connects the upper peninsula and the main state of Michigan.
(00:22):
We're talking about the Mackinaw Bridge.
So sit down,
shut up,
buckle up and get ready for another episode of Trucking Up History presented by H and M Trucking from Omaha Nebraska to whatever lane you're driving.
This is the H and M Trucking podcast,
your host,
(00:42):
Marcus Bridges,
the land of Two peninsulas.
Michigan is where we find ourselves in trucking up history.
Today.
If you look at Michigan on a map,
there are two parts,
the mitten in the south and the crooked dangling part to the north,
(01:02):
you can use your imagination for what people might call that.
But before the 19 fifties,
there was no connection point between the dangling part and the mitten.
However,
that would change.
Thanks to the mackinac or is it Mackinaw Bridge.
So first,
let's cross this bridge.
No pun intended.
How do you pronounce the word mackinac?
Well,
not like that.
(01:23):
If you have zero knowledge about the state of Wolverines,
you might pronounce it mackinac,
but you are wrong.
It's not your fault though.
It's the French and the British fault like most things,
although we are the world champs against these nations,
their influence has left our English language with a few conundrums.
This being one of them.
Why would these two nations have an impact on a bridge name that was built in the 19 fifties.
(01:45):
We'd have to go way back in time to find that out today.
If you look northeast from the bridge,
you'll see an island.
It may just seem like a normal island at first,
but it isn't currently as we speak.
There are no vehicles allowed on this island.
That's right.
Only horse drawn carriages are allowed today.
This island is known for its tourism.
(02:05):
I mean,
where else can you find a society that only accepts horses as its mode of transportation?
1 million tourists visit this small island of only 3.8 square miles every year.
It's known for its historic buildings.
Horses of which there are 600 employed on the island and it's fudge fudge.
(02:26):
Well,
it might reek of horse crap.
You'll find the best fudge in all of the world on this island.
Plus if you're planning a trip,
you've got to head to the pink pony on the island rated as one of the best outdoor dining spots in all of America.
Enjoy the best prime rib French dip sandwich you will ever have,
trust me on this one.
But I am avoiding the question of why it's pronounced mackinaw instead of mackinac.
(02:49):
I would fall into the category who thought it was pronounced mackinac.
At first glance,
long story short,
the island was once called home by native Americans.
Like many other spots in America were before the settlers came over.
The natives name this island and I'm trying really hard here,
Mikola mackinac,
which technically means great turtle.
(03:09):
They thought the island looked like a turtle seems simple enough.
Then the French with their mighty mustaches and beautiful suites found the land of current day Michigan on one of their conquests.
In 1715,
they founded Fort Mila Maac on mainland Michigan which included a silent sea pronounced with the A W then in 1761 the Dam Brits took control of the fort known for its fur trading community.
(03:35):
They then moved the fort to the current day island.
Brits are a bit slow.
So they decided to shorten the name of the fort and Island to Mackinac but still pronounced it Mackinaw.
After too many mispronunciations,
the British changed the spelling of the city known as Mackinac City to Mackinaw City.
But the island and the bridge that were to be built over 100 years later,
(03:57):
still kept the ac at the end of their name.
Pronouncing the ac though would be like pronouncing the G in lasagna.
What a bunch of bologna confused yet.
Well,
we haven't even started talking about the bridge.
Let's avoid that topic for just a little bit longer.
Let's go way back in time to the last ice age.
I'm not talking about the movie with the Squirrel in its nut.
(04:19):
I'm talking about 20,000 plus years ago back then.
It is believed that a mile thick ice sheet covered most of Canada and the northern United States,
the massive weight and movement of this glacier gouged out the earth to form the lake basins.
Then the climate warmed and the ice melted into these basins.
The Great Lakes were the largest of these basins and they formed today.
(04:41):
They still hold 20% of the entire world's freshwater supply for this conversation.
We'll be talking about Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Remember the bridge that we were supposed to be talking about?
Well,
it technically divides these two lakes now that we've set the scene for the history of Michigan geography and know how to properly pronounce things.
(05:02):
I'm sure you can assume why a bridge was so very desired life for northern Michigan was a bit tricky before the 19 fifties.
If you've ever been to the upper peninsula of Michigan,
you know that it's sparsely populated today.
It accounts for one third of Michigan's land mass yet only 3% of its population.
It's been like that for some time mostly because it's freezing as balls but also never had the connection to the rest of Michigan.
(05:29):
I mean,
it's connected to Wisconsin at least to the west.
So beer and cheese curs are of abundance though,
before the 19 twenties.
If you wanted to go east or south,
you'd have to go through drastic measures such as walking across ice or the worst going through Canada.
Listen,
Canada is I,
I guess mostly.
All right.
But if you think Michigan winners suck,
(05:49):
just head north.
It was quite important to connect these two peninsulas to the state of Michigan for mainly economic reasons.
Now,
it should be noted that at one point,
Michigan natives and the rest of America didn't care about the upper peninsula.
At one point,
President Andrew Jackson,
also known as one of the worst presidents in us.
History proposed that Michigan gain control of all the upper peninsula if they ceded to the Toledo Strip in Ohio.
(06:15):
Yes,
that's correct.
You heard me right.
Toledo was supposed to be in Michigan instead of Ohio.
This led to a war between Michigan and Ohio,
which we won't need to get into.
Maybe this is why their rivalry in college football is so intense.
They both really love Toledo.
I don't know though Toledo Michigan just doesn't have the same ring to it to try and make Michigan happy the United States gave them the entirety of the Upper Peninsula.
(06:41):
That didn't make them happy.
They felt like they got underwear for Christmas.
When their sibling got a Red Rider BB.
Gun Little,
did they know it was literally a gold mine,
believe it or not.
Rich mineral deposits were discovered in the 18 forties.
With the main deposits being copper and iron mine started appearing left and right and they produced more mineral wealth than the California gold rush.
(07:04):
By the 18 sixties,
90% of America's copper was produced by the upper peninsula.
By the 18 nineties,
it was also the nation's largest supplier of iron ore.
Although mining peaked in the 19 twenties,
there's still little done today near towns like Marquette besides minerals,
timber was and still is a huge economic industry in the upper peninsula.
(07:27):
If you had to head up that way,
you'll be sure to find lots of trucks hauling toothpicks.
Other industries that have been huge in the upper peninsula are the sandstone industry and tourism.
Marquette,
Michigan,
Christmas,
Michigan and pictured Rocks National Park are just a few of the tourist hotspots.
So from almost when Michigan added the upper peninsula until now,
(07:49):
it actually turned out to be a pretty good deal for the state.
As for Toledo,
it's nothing special.
It looks like Michigan beats the Ohio State once again.
Besides economic activities,
people lived up north.
They wanted to get to the mainland for obvious reasons.
Ferries and ships were the only modes of transportation for people and goods when the winners were harsh and the lakes froze.
(08:09):
This made everything move even slower.
There was a time when people would cross the ice bridge through the Mackinaw strait to move back and forth.
Usually this was safe,
but the key word is usually you couldn't catch my ass walking on ice with 260 plus feet of water below,
let alone driving some kind of vehicle on it between the occasional ice bridge incident and the congested and slow ferries.
(08:33):
Something had to be done.
In 1923 the state proposed more ferry routes but these couldn't keep up with the demand in the last year of operation.
The ferries transported 900,000 vehicles with wait times of five hours some days.
So you'd think a problem like this would influence officials to make a bridge quicker.
(08:53):
But as we know on trucking up history,
the government is slow to respond to shit that needs to get done.
Now,
people had been wanting a bridge long before 1923 when lots of ferries were added in 1883 bridge.
Backers had seen the Brooklyn bridge built and got excited.
These foolish individuals forgot one thing.
New York City had an exponentially larger amount of people living there.
(09:17):
Business owners and most citizens from around the Mackinaw area,
desired a bridge all the way back in the 18 eighties.
It went so far that one dude printed out a picture of the Brooklyn bridge and captioned it saying quote proposed bridge across the straits of Mackinaw.
He posted this everywhere,
getting people's hopes up,
see fake news even existed in Michigan all the way back in the 18 hundreds.
(09:41):
During the following years from the 18 eighties,
there were a few crazy ideas involving the connection of Michigan's two peninsulas.
According to the Mackinaw Bridge Authority in 1920 the state Highway commissioner suggested a floating tunnel.
Another idea was to create 17 miles worth of bridges and causeways that would start much further south.
Why nobody really knows why a professional engineer would suggest this because there was land to the south.
(10:07):
Then along came the congested ferries within five years of this solution,
the governor had already had enough.
He ordered a bridge feasibility report which finally got the ball rolling.
Oh,
wait,
no,
it didn't because people didn't like that.
It was going to cost $30 million.
Then again,
in 1934 there was another feasibility report ordered again,
(10:27):
this came back saying it was a possible effort and it would cost no more than $32.4 million.
The Mackinaw Bridge Authority was officially established with this report and they made two attempts to obtain loans with backing of President Roosevelt and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Both attempts in 1934 and 1936 were denied but the bridge backers who had stayed strong would not take no for an answer.
(10:53):
They began creating plans and conducting more studies for when the right time came.
But then World War two started and the Mackinaw Bridge Authority was abolished with any hopes of a bridge abolished right along with it.
The bridge backers still swung back into action though,
again,
relentless,
like a dog licking its butt during dinner.
(11:13):
This time,
a citizens committee obtained legislation to act as a bridge authority instead of the firefighters pulling the car off a child.
It was like the mom pulling a car off their child.
Now this time,
things were different and they wouldn't take no for an answer.
After consulting three of the world's foremost long span bridge engineers,
the committee submitted plans for a bridge that would be built and financed with revenue bonds for $86 million.
(11:39):
It should have taken that $30 million offer sounds a lot better than 80 million.
But imagine this another hiccup materials they needed were at a shortage due to the Korean War immediately.
Once the war lessened,
the moms pulling their Children from under cars were back in action.
$99.8 million worth of Mackinaw bridge bonds were bought by the end of 1953 and construction began in 1954 after ceremonies were held.
(12:08):
So after more than 70 years of hopes and dreams,
the bridge backers had lift off,
the two main towers were the largest feats to tackle.
So construction crews started off with them and the pillars,
the process while complicated to most actually wasn't too complicated to construction crews as bridges were a thing of the past,
the only real challenge was the length even then the Golden Gate Bridge,
(12:30):
which is the same style of bridge as the Mackinaw bridge was constructed in 1937.
While Mackinaw bridge is longer,
the Golden Gate suspension span,
the link between the towers is actually longer.
So there had been some previous experience already,
David Steinman,
the designer of the bridge designed it with influences from the failed Tacoma narrows bridge.
(12:51):
Since that suspension bridge collapsed due to high winds.
He put a lot of research into counteracting the winds.
But that's a story for another time when Steinman's design was set in stone,
the construction process looked like this.
Once the cash ins were constructed,
they were floated into position and sunk,
however deep was needed.
The main towers went down as far as 210 ft below the water and they are 552 ft above the water making them 762 ft total.
(13:20):
Next,
the roadway trust sections were assembled in sections and floated into position to be raised.
More than 500 iron workers had to be brought in to then string the massive cabling network.
While this is a simplified version of what actually happened,
it generally was a pretty straightforward process.
There was no construction done in the winter and that simplified things even more.
(13:42):
Overall,
3500 skilled workers were brought in to work on the bridge's construction of these workers.
Five unfortunately died while on the job.
Contrary to popular belief,
they are not buried in the bridge.
Diver Frank Pepper was one of the first to pass.
He ascended too quickly from a depth of 100 and 40 ft and died from decompression sickness.
(14:03):
James Lasar died when he fell 40 ft into a cash in Albert Abbott died after falling as well due to a heart attack.
And Jack Baker and Robert Coppin both died on their first day of work due to a catwalk collapse since these deaths.
One other maintenance worker died in the nineties while scaffolding,
he died due to the temperatures of the water rather than the impact of his fall.
(14:25):
Other notable deaths since it was built include two vehicles going over the railing.
One a suicide and another due to high speeds.
Roughly a dozen suicides from jumping and a small plane crashing into the bridges,
suspension cables,
killing all three people in the plane.
While all these circumstances are very sad,
the impact of this bridge should not go unnoticed.
Let me hit you first.
(14:46):
With some numbers,
there were 89,000 blueprints and structural drawings made for this bridge.
71,300 tons of structural steel was used.
That's the equivalent of like 15,000 large elephants.
931,000 tons of concrete was used.
That's a shit ton more elephants.
For those counting 42,000 miles of cable wire were used.
(15:09):
You could stretch that out across the entire earth almost twice and it weighs a whopping 1 million,
24,000 tons.
The Titanic weighed like 52,000 tons and that thing couldn't even stay afloat.
So this was truly a structural feat.
All of this comprises the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere for only taking 48 months back in the 19 fifties.
(15:33):
What a job done by all of the workers.
I mean,
they can't even seem to fix a pothole in Eugene within 48 months.
So kudos to them in total,
the bridge spans 26,372 ft.
Roughly just under five miles.
There's a damn bridge in China that's 100 and two miles long,
although not a suspension bridge.
So let's not get too cocky yet.
(15:54):
But for Michigan Ers,
this has changed their lives with only two lanes on each side and a max speed for truckers of 20 miles an hour.
The bridge may seem like a nuisance for some but just think at least you don't have to walk on an ice bridge anymore daily,
roughly 11,600 vehicles cross the bridge with dozens of ships passing underneath from tolls alone.
(16:16):
The state makes $22 million per year,
but just think of all the other impacts.
There's a connection to the upper peninsula which now has a GDP of 10 billion.
It's easier for drivers to connect to Canada now.
And most importantly,
Ohio lost as for the future of the bridge,
there's always work to be done.
I mean,
bridge repainting takes three years generally.
(16:38):
So just doing that is quite the job yet,
this bridge will continue to impact and shape the state of Michigan.
More and more Michigan ers are so proud of this bridge that since 1958 the governor and anyone else who cares to walk across the bridge do so.
Every Labor Day.
In recent years,
65,000 walkers have joined in as this is also the only day of the year that people are allowed to hike on this portion of the North Country National Scenic Trail which starts in Vermont and ends in North Dakota.
(17:09):
So you better plan accordingly for those traveling on I 75 from the South.
This bridge might just be a sigh of relief once you cross it,
traffic lessens and eventually it's just you and the open road.
I'm sure this is a warm welcome when the weather doesn't suck.
At least for others.
It might not be such a blessing in an anonymous survey.
The Mackinaw bridge ranked number one for truckers as the scariest bridge to drive on,
(17:33):
especially in the winter.
Even four wheelers get nervous driving on the bridge while the bridge isn't supposed to sway.
Winter wind gust will send your vehicle swerving according to drivers.
Since it's a suspension bridge,
it can actually sway 35 ft from side to side.
So that's a pleasant thought.
In an interview with the truck driver.
(17:53):
One said the Mac have to dig your underwear out of your crack on a windy day.
With any luck it'll still be clean.
Michigan has even started a program where they offer to drive four wheelers across the bridge for those who might get too anxious,
but who knows?
Maybe they'll introduce a program for truckers where they let rookie drivers practice driving other truckers rigs over the bridge.
(18:14):
That way,
we really get to pressure,
test those guard rails.
Let us know if you've ever driven on the Mighty Mac and we'll catch you next time cheese bags.
This has been another episode of Trucking Up history presented by H and M Trucking.
Thanks for joining me today and we'll see you all again next week.
(18:35):
Thank you for listening to the H and M Trucking podcast.
Please leave a review,
subscribe and connect with Marcus over at the H and M trucking social media channels.
And if you're considering a job at H and M,
find us at HM trucking.com.
Until next time,
stay safe and ahead of the curve drivers.
What's Up Cheese Bags?
Welcome to another episode of Trucking Up History presented by H and M Trucking.
We love doing these little jaunts through history with you to learn about the roads that you drive on and how they came to be.
And today we are going to address that one up in Michigan that connects the upper peninsula and the main state of Michigan.
(00:22):
We're talking about the Mackinaw Bridge.
So sit down,
shut up,
buckle up and get ready for another episode of Trucking Up History presented by H and M Trucking from Omaha Nebraska to whatever lane you're driving.
This is the H and M Trucking podcast,
your host,
(00:42):
Marcus Bridges,
the land of Two peninsulas.
Michigan is where we find ourselves in trucking up history.
Today.
If you look at Michigan on a map,
there are two parts,
the mitten in the south and the crooked dangling part to the north,
(01:02):
you can use your imagination for what people might call that.
But before the 19 fifties,
there was no connection point between the dangling part and the mitten.
However,
that would change.
Thanks to the mackinac or is it Mackinaw Bridge.
So first,
let's cross this bridge.
No pun intended.
How do you pronounce the word mackinac?
Well,
not like that.
(01:23):
If you have zero knowledge about the state of Wolverines,
you might pronounce it mackinac,
but you are wrong.
It's not your fault though.
It's the French and the British fault like most things,
although we are the world champs against these nations,
their influence has left our English language with a few conundrums.
This being one of them.
Why would these two nations have an impact on a bridge name that was built in the 19 fifties.
(01:45):
We'd have to go way back in time to find that out today.
If you look northeast from the bridge,
you'll see an island.
It may just seem like a normal island at first,
but it isn't currently as we speak.
There are no vehicles allowed on this island.
That's right.
Only horse drawn carriages are allowed today.
This island is known for its tourism.
(02:05):
I mean,
where else can you find a society that only accepts horses as its mode of transportation?
1 million tourists visit this small island of only 3.8 square miles every year.
It's known for its historic buildings.
Horses of which there are 600 employed on the island and it's fudge fudge.
(02:26):
Well,
it might reek of horse crap.
You'll find the best fudge in all of the world on this island.
Plus if you're planning a trip,
you've got to head to the pink pony on the island rated as one of the best outdoor dining spots in all of America.
Enjoy the best prime rib French dip sandwich you will ever have,
trust me on this one.
But I am avoiding the question of why it's pronounced mackinaw instead of mackinac.
(02:49):
I would fall into the category who thought it was pronounced mackinac.
At first glance,
long story short,
the island was once called home by native Americans.
Like many other spots in America were before the settlers came over.
The natives name this island and I'm trying really hard here,
Mikola mackinac,
which technically means great turtle.
(03:09):
They thought the island looked like a turtle seems simple enough.
Then the French with their mighty mustaches and beautiful suites found the land of current day Michigan on one of their conquests.
In 1715,
they founded Fort Mila Maac on mainland Michigan which included a silent sea pronounced with the A W then in 1761 the Dam Brits took control of the fort known for its fur trading community.
(03:35):
They then moved the fort to the current day island.
Brits are a bit slow.
So they decided to shorten the name of the fort and Island to Mackinac but still pronounced it Mackinaw.
After too many mispronunciations,
the British changed the spelling of the city known as Mackinac City to Mackinaw City.
But the island and the bridge that were to be built over 100 years later,
(03:57):
still kept the ac at the end of their name.
Pronouncing the ac though would be like pronouncing the G in lasagna.
What a bunch of bologna confused yet.
Well,
we haven't even started talking about the bridge.
Let's avoid that topic for just a little bit longer.
Let's go way back in time to the last ice age.
I'm not talking about the movie with the Squirrel in its nut.
(04:19):
I'm talking about 20,000 plus years ago back then.
It is believed that a mile thick ice sheet covered most of Canada and the northern United States,
the massive weight and movement of this glacier gouged out the earth to form the lake basins.
Then the climate warmed and the ice melted into these basins.
The Great Lakes were the largest of these basins and they formed today.
(04:41):
They still hold 20% of the entire world's freshwater supply for this conversation.
We'll be talking about Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.
Remember the bridge that we were supposed to be talking about?
Well,
it technically divides these two lakes now that we've set the scene for the history of Michigan geography and know how to properly pronounce things.
(05:02):
I'm sure you can assume why a bridge was so very desired life for northern Michigan was a bit tricky before the 19 fifties.
If you've ever been to the upper peninsula of Michigan,
you know that it's sparsely populated today.
It accounts for one third of Michigan's land mass yet only 3% of its population.
It's been like that for some time mostly because it's freezing as balls but also never had the connection to the rest of Michigan.
(05:29):
I mean,
it's connected to Wisconsin at least to the west.
So beer and cheese curs are of abundance though,
before the 19 twenties.
If you wanted to go east or south,
you'd have to go through drastic measures such as walking across ice or the worst going through Canada.
Listen,
Canada is I,
I guess mostly.
All right.
But if you think Michigan winners suck,
(05:49):
just head north.
It was quite important to connect these two peninsulas to the state of Michigan for mainly economic reasons.
Now,
it should be noted that at one point,
Michigan natives and the rest of America didn't care about the upper peninsula.
At one point,
President Andrew Jackson,
also known as one of the worst presidents in us.
History proposed that Michigan gain control of all the upper peninsula if they ceded to the Toledo Strip in Ohio.
(06:15):
Yes,
that's correct.
You heard me right.
Toledo was supposed to be in Michigan instead of Ohio.
This led to a war between Michigan and Ohio,
which we won't need to get into.
Maybe this is why their rivalry in college football is so intense.
They both really love Toledo.
I don't know though Toledo Michigan just doesn't have the same ring to it to try and make Michigan happy the United States gave them the entirety of the Upper Peninsula.
(06:41):
That didn't make them happy.
They felt like they got underwear for Christmas.
When their sibling got a Red Rider BB.
Gun Little,
did they know it was literally a gold mine,
believe it or not.
Rich mineral deposits were discovered in the 18 forties.
With the main deposits being copper and iron mine started appearing left and right and they produced more mineral wealth than the California gold rush.
(07:04):
By the 18 sixties,
90% of America's copper was produced by the upper peninsula.
By the 18 nineties,
it was also the nation's largest supplier of iron ore.
Although mining peaked in the 19 twenties,
there's still little done today near towns like Marquette besides minerals,
timber was and still is a huge economic industry in the upper peninsula.
(07:27):
If you had to head up that way,
you'll be sure to find lots of trucks hauling toothpicks.
Other industries that have been huge in the upper peninsula are the sandstone industry and tourism.
Marquette,
Michigan,
Christmas,
Michigan and pictured Rocks National Park are just a few of the tourist hotspots.
So from almost when Michigan added the upper peninsula until now,
(07:49):
it actually turned out to be a pretty good deal for the state.
As for Toledo,
it's nothing special.
It looks like Michigan beats the Ohio State once again.
Besides economic activities,
people lived up north.
They wanted to get to the mainland for obvious reasons.
Ferries and ships were the only modes of transportation for people and goods when the winners were harsh and the lakes froze.
(08:09):
This made everything move even slower.
There was a time when people would cross the ice bridge through the Mackinaw strait to move back and forth.
Usually this was safe,
but the key word is usually you couldn't catch my ass walking on ice with 260 plus feet of water below,
let alone driving some kind of vehicle on it between the occasional ice bridge incident and the congested and slow ferries.
(08:33):
Something had to be done.
In 1923 the state proposed more ferry routes but these couldn't keep up with the demand in the last year of operation.
The ferries transported 900,000 vehicles with wait times of five hours some days.
So you'd think a problem like this would influence officials to make a bridge quicker.
(08:53):
But as we know on trucking up history,
the government is slow to respond to shit that needs to get done.
Now,
people had been wanting a bridge long before 1923 when lots of ferries were added in 1883 bridge.
Backers had seen the Brooklyn bridge built and got excited.
These foolish individuals forgot one thing.
New York City had an exponentially larger amount of people living there.
(09:17):
Business owners and most citizens from around the Mackinaw area,
desired a bridge all the way back in the 18 eighties.
It went so far that one dude printed out a picture of the Brooklyn bridge and captioned it saying quote proposed bridge across the straits of Mackinaw.
He posted this everywhere,
getting people's hopes up,
see fake news even existed in Michigan all the way back in the 18 hundreds.
(09:41):
During the following years from the 18 eighties,
there were a few crazy ideas involving the connection of Michigan's two peninsulas.
According to the Mackinaw Bridge Authority in 1920 the state Highway commissioner suggested a floating tunnel.
Another idea was to create 17 miles worth of bridges and causeways that would start much further south.
Why nobody really knows why a professional engineer would suggest this because there was land to the south.
(10:07):
Then along came the congested ferries within five years of this solution,
the governor had already had enough.
He ordered a bridge feasibility report which finally got the ball rolling.
Oh,
wait,
no,
it didn't because people didn't like that.
It was going to cost $30 million.
Then again,
in 1934 there was another feasibility report ordered again,
(10:27):
this came back saying it was a possible effort and it would cost no more than $32.4 million.
The Mackinaw Bridge Authority was officially established with this report and they made two attempts to obtain loans with backing of President Roosevelt and the US Army Corps of Engineers.
Both attempts in 1934 and 1936 were denied but the bridge backers who had stayed strong would not take no for an answer.
(10:53):
They began creating plans and conducting more studies for when the right time came.
But then World War two started and the Mackinaw Bridge Authority was abolished with any hopes of a bridge abolished right along with it.
The bridge backers still swung back into action though,
again,
relentless,
like a dog licking its butt during dinner.
(11:13):
This time,
a citizens committee obtained legislation to act as a bridge authority instead of the firefighters pulling the car off a child.
It was like the mom pulling a car off their child.
Now this time,
things were different and they wouldn't take no for an answer.
After consulting three of the world's foremost long span bridge engineers,
the committee submitted plans for a bridge that would be built and financed with revenue bonds for $86 million.
(11:39):
It should have taken that $30 million offer sounds a lot better than 80 million.
But imagine this another hiccup materials they needed were at a shortage due to the Korean War immediately.
Once the war lessened,
the moms pulling their Children from under cars were back in action.
$99.8 million worth of Mackinaw bridge bonds were bought by the end of 1953 and construction began in 1954 after ceremonies were held.
(12:08):
So after more than 70 years of hopes and dreams,
the bridge backers had lift off,
the two main towers were the largest feats to tackle.
So construction crews started off with them and the pillars,
the process while complicated to most actually wasn't too complicated to construction crews as bridges were a thing of the past,
the only real challenge was the length even then the Golden Gate Bridge,
(12:30):
which is the same style of bridge as the Mackinaw bridge was constructed in 1937.
While Mackinaw bridge is longer,
the Golden Gate suspension span,
the link between the towers is actually longer.
So there had been some previous experience already,
David Steinman,
the designer of the bridge designed it with influences from the failed Tacoma narrows bridge.
(12:51):
Since that suspension bridge collapsed due to high winds.
He put a lot of research into counteracting the winds.
But that's a story for another time when Steinman's design was set in stone,
the construction process looked like this.
Once the cash ins were constructed,
they were floated into position and sunk,
however deep was needed.
The main towers went down as far as 210 ft below the water and they are 552 ft above the water making them 762 ft total.
(13:20):
Next,
the roadway trust sections were assembled in sections and floated into position to be raised.
More than 500 iron workers had to be brought in to then string the massive cabling network.
While this is a simplified version of what actually happened,
it generally was a pretty straightforward process.
There was no construction done in the winter and that simplified things even more.
(13:42):
Overall,
3500 skilled workers were brought in to work on the bridge's construction of these workers.
Five unfortunately died while on the job.
Contrary to popular belief,
they are not buried in the bridge.
Diver Frank Pepper was one of the first to pass.
He ascended too quickly from a depth of 100 and 40 ft and died from decompression sickness.
(14:03):
James Lasar died when he fell 40 ft into a cash in Albert Abbott died after falling as well due to a heart attack.
And Jack Baker and Robert Coppin both died on their first day of work due to a catwalk collapse since these deaths.
One other maintenance worker died in the nineties while scaffolding,
he died due to the temperatures of the water rather than the impact of his fall.
(14:25):
Other notable deaths since it was built include two vehicles going over the railing.
One a suicide and another due to high speeds.
Roughly a dozen suicides from jumping and a small plane crashing into the bridges,
suspension cables,
killing all three people in the plane.
While all these circumstances are very sad,
the impact of this bridge should not go unnoticed.
Let me hit you first.
(14:46):
With some numbers,
there were 89,000 blueprints and structural drawings made for this bridge.
71,300 tons of structural steel was used.
That's the equivalent of like 15,000 large elephants.
931,000 tons of concrete was used.
That's a shit ton more elephants.
For those counting 42,000 miles of cable wire were used.
(15:09):
You could stretch that out across the entire earth almost twice and it weighs a whopping 1 million,
24,000 tons.
The Titanic weighed like 52,000 tons and that thing couldn't even stay afloat.
So this was truly a structural feat.
All of this comprises the longest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere for only taking 48 months back in the 19 fifties.
(15:33):
What a job done by all of the workers.
I mean,
they can't even seem to fix a pothole in Eugene within 48 months.
So kudos to them in total,
the bridge spans 26,372 ft.
Roughly just under five miles.
There's a damn bridge in China that's 100 and two miles long,
although not a suspension bridge.
So let's not get too cocky yet.
(15:54):
But for Michigan Ers,
this has changed their lives with only two lanes on each side and a max speed for truckers of 20 miles an hour.
The bridge may seem like a nuisance for some but just think at least you don't have to walk on an ice bridge anymore daily,
roughly 11,600 vehicles cross the bridge with dozens of ships passing underneath from tolls alone.
(16:16):
The state makes $22 million per year,
but just think of all the other impacts.
There's a connection to the upper peninsula which now has a GDP of 10 billion.
It's easier for drivers to connect to Canada now.
And most importantly,
Ohio lost as for the future of the bridge,
there's always work to be done.
I mean,
bridge repainting takes three years generally.
(16:38):
So just doing that is quite the job yet,
this bridge will continue to impact and shape the state of Michigan.
More and more Michigan ers are so proud of this bridge that since 1958 the governor and anyone else who cares to walk across the bridge do so.
Every Labor Day.
In recent years,
65,000 walkers have joined in as this is also the only day of the year that people are allowed to hike on this portion of the North Country National Scenic Trail which starts in Vermont and ends in North Dakota.
(17:09):
So you better plan accordingly for those traveling on I 75 from the South.
This bridge might just be a sigh of relief once you cross it,
traffic lessens and eventually it's just you and the open road.
I'm sure this is a warm welcome when the weather doesn't suck.
At least for others.
It might not be such a blessing in an anonymous survey.
The Mackinaw bridge ranked number one for truckers as the scariest bridge to drive on,
(17:33):
especially in the winter.
Even four wheelers get nervous driving on the bridge while the bridge isn't supposed to sway.
Winter wind gust will send your vehicle swerving according to drivers.
Since it's a suspension bridge,
it can actually sway 35 ft from side to side.
So that's a pleasant thought.
In an interview with the truck driver.
(17:53):
One said the Mac have to dig your underwear out of your crack on a windy day.
With any luck it'll still be clean.
Michigan has even started a program where they offer to drive four wheelers across the bridge for those who might get too anxious,
but who knows?
Maybe they'll introduce a program for truckers where they let rookie drivers practice driving other truckers rigs over the bridge.
(18:14):
That way,
we really get to pressure,
test those guard rails.
Let us know if you've ever driven on the Mighty Mac and we'll catch you next time cheese bags.
This has been another episode of Trucking Up history presented by H and M Trucking.
Thanks for joining me today and we'll see you all again next week.
(18:35):
Thank you for listening to the H and M Trucking podcast.
Please leave a review,
subscribe and connect with Marcus over at the H and M trucking social media channels.
And if you're considering a job at H and M,
find us at HM trucking.com.
Until next time,
stay safe and ahead of the curve drivers.
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