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Mackinac Bridge: The Long Fight to Build the Mighty Mac
Season 7
Episode 31
Published 1 week, 4 days ago
Description
Before the Mackinac Bridge became Michigan’s most recognizable crossing, it was a proposal that repeatedly stalled. Engineers drew plans. Supporters pushed lawmakers. Financing fell through. Meanwhile, state ferries kept carrying motorists across the straits.
In this episode of The End of the Road in Michigan, follow the decades-long campaign to build the Mighty Mac—from early bridge proposals and the growing ferry fleet to Prentiss Brown’s determined push for financing. Then follow the crews who turned David Steinman’s design into a five-mile crossing above the water.
Drawing on historical records from the Mackinac Bridge Authority and Michigan’s history agencies, this episode examines the political setbacks, financial gamble and demanding construction behind the bridge’s opening on Nov. 1, 1957. It also remembers the five workers who died building it.
Listen to the story behind those familiar towers—and the people who made it possible for Michigan’s road to keep going.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications
In this episode of The End of the Road in Michigan, follow the decades-long campaign to build the Mighty Mac—from early bridge proposals and the growing ferry fleet to Prentiss Brown’s determined push for financing. Then follow the crews who turned David Steinman’s design into a five-mile crossing above the water.
Drawing on historical records from the Mackinac Bridge Authority and Michigan’s history agencies, this episode examines the political setbacks, financial gamble and demanding construction behind the bridge’s opening on Nov. 1, 1957. It also remembers the five workers who died building it.
Listen to the story behind those familiar towers—and the people who made it possible for Michigan’s road to keep going.
The End of the Road in Michigan is a production of Thumbwind Publications