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The bridge opened on November 1, 1957, [10] connecting two peninsulas linked for decades by ferries. At the time, the bridge was formally dedicated as the "world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages", allowing a superlative comparison to the Golden Gate Bridge, which has a longer center span between towers, and the San Francisco–Oakland Bay Bridge, which has an anchorage in the middle.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority was created in 1950 to study the feasibility of constructing a suspension bridge to connect Michigan's Lower Peninsula with its Upper Peninsula. [3] The MBA was empowered by legislation in 1952 "to issue revenue bonds 'for the purpose of paying for the cost of a bridge ' ". [4]
The Mackinac Bridge Authority was formed in 1950 to construct a bridge over the Straits of Mackinac, and bonds for the bridge's construction were issued Construction on the Mackinac Bridge began in 1954, promising an even faster and higher-capacity link across the Straits of Mackinac. [5]
Jack R. Thompson, 93, of Alpena worked on the Mackinac Bridge in 1956. He now has a piece of the bridge to call his own.
One of the most important projects of the decade was the foundation contract for David B. Steinman's Mackinac Bridge commenced 1954 and completed in 1957, across the Straits of Mackinac. This five-mile (8.0 km) bridge (including approaches) was the world's longest anchorage-to-anchorage single-suspended span at the time. and Merritt-Chapman ...
More importantly, development and planning of the Mackinac Bridge had been contemplated for some time, and Steinman was appointed to the board of engineers based on Michigan State Legislature legislation of 1950, stating "the board of engineers retained by the Mackinac Bridge Authority was to be selected and nominated by the Dean of Engineering ...
A new survey ranks Michigan's Mighty Mac among the nation's top 10 most scenic bridges. The Mackinac Bridge ranked seventh nationwide, falling within the top 10 of a 100-bridge ranking.
The Mackinac Bridge was completed in November 1957. During its construction, crowds came to watch the progress, increasing the need for tour boats. During the winter of 1953, Shepler built a second kit boat, a high-speed cruiser, the Billy Dick, named after the captain's son, William Richard. The fleet expanded over the years. [4] [5]