Mackinac Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mackinac Bridge |
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| Carries | 4 lanes of I-75 |
| Crosses | Straits of Mackinac |
| Locale | Mackinaw City and St. Ignace, Michigan |
| Other name(s) | Mighty Mac or Big Mac |
| Maintained by | Mackinac Bridge Authority |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Suspension bridge |
| Total length | 26,372 feet (8,038 m) |
| Width | 68.6 feet (20.9 m) (total width) 54 feet (16 m) (road width) 38.1 feet (11.6 m) (depth) |
| Height | 552 feet (168 m) |
| Longest span | 3,800 feet (1,158 m) |
| Clearance above | 200 feet (61 m) |
| Clearance below | 155 feet (47 m) |
| History | |
| Opened | November 1, 1957 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | 11,600 |
| Toll | $2.00 per axle for passenger vehicles ($4.00 per car). $3.50 per axle for motor homes. $4.50 per axle for commercial vehicles. |
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The Mackinac Bridge is a 5-mile-long (8-km.-long) bridge that carries a four-lane interstate highway, Interstate 75. It was built by the U.S. state of Michigan and connects that state's Upper Peninsula and Lower Peninsula together.
The Mackinac Bridge passes over a strait of water that connects two Great Lakes, Lake Michigan (to the west of the bridge) and Lake Huron (to the east).
At the center of the Mackinac Bridge is a long suspension span, in which the bridge, made of steel and concrete, hangs from wires that run down from two huge, curved cables.
The government agency that runs the Mackinac Bridge charges motor vehicles a toll to drive over it. In 2020, the toll was $4.00 for a passenger car.
The government hangs colored lights from the big cable, and turns them on at night so that the bridge can be seen from many miles away.
The Mackinac Bridge was opened in 1957, and this started a major economic boom in northern Michigan as tourists drove from all over North America to see the bridge, the Great Lakes, and the northern forests.
Images for kids
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Vacationland, the largest and last Michigan State Highway Department automobile ferry put in service prior to the completion of the Mackinac Bridge
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Bridge's opening in November 1957
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View of the north tower of the bridge
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View of a bridge tower
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The Mackinac Bridge from the south shore
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The Mackinac Bridge at night
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Freighter passing under the bridge
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The Mackinac Bridge Walk
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A Mackinac Island ferry passing in front of the Mackinac Bridge.
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Mackinac Bridge from Michilimackinac State Park, Mackinaw City
See also
In Spanish: Puente del Estrecho de Mackinac para niños
