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On November 1, 1957, traffic officially opened on the Mackinac Bridge. That was the culmination of 70 years of talking and dreaming about a bridge across
the Straits of Mackinac, of discouraging attempts for legislative and congressional approval, of efforts to raise the funds, and finally of a three-year construction program necessary for the worlds longest and costliest (to date) suspension bridge.
Michigans greatest symbol is expertly maintained, fully funded, and amazingly resilient to the many forces and factors of man and nature that have failed to seriously affect its status as the lone highway link between Michigans two main peninsulas. The miracle bridge at the Straits of Mackinac truly allows a view that epitomizes the state motto of Michigan, Si quaeris peninsulam amoenam, circumspice, or If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.
About the author
Mike Fornes has covered the Mackinac Bridge for more than 20 years for several media outlets in northern Michigan, including radio and television stations and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. He has given more than 1,500 tours of the Mackinac Bridge from motorcoaches, cruise boats, and shore-based presentations. Fornes has compiled the best photographs from Michigan Department of Transportation files and private collections in this stunning look at "a symphony of metal and stone."
