"Big Mac"
This beautiful bridge spans the Straits of Mackinaw from Mackinaw City, Michigan to St. Ignace, Michigan, connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. It opened in 1957 at 26,372 feet in length, then the longest suspension bridge in the world. To withstand the strong winds often found in the Straits, a unique construction was used in the deck construction. The road deck is shaped somewhat as an airfoil, which provides uplift--that's not necessarily a good thing in high winds, so a countering element was utilized, an open grid deck design on the interior lanes, with a predicted stability in winds up to 150 mph.
"Big Mac"
This beautiful bridge spans the Straits of Mackinaw from Mackinaw City, Michigan to St. Ignace, Michigan, connecting the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan. It opened in 1957 at 26,372 feet in length, then the longest suspension bridge in the world. To withstand the strong winds often found in the Straits, a unique construction was used in the deck construction. The road deck is shaped somewhat as an airfoil, which provides uplift--that's not necessarily a good thing in high winds, so a countering element was utilized, an open grid deck design on the interior lanes, with a predicted stability in winds up to 150 mph.