Mackinac Bridge

"How the bridge was built"

On November 1, 1957, traffic officially opened on the Mackinac Bridge. That was the culmination of 70 years of talking and dreaming about a straits bridge, 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 world’s longest and costliest (to date) suspension bridge. Michigan’s 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 Michigan’s 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.”

Mike Fornes covered the Mackinac Bridge for 26 years for several media outlets in northern Michigan, including radio and television stations and the Cheboygan Daily Tribune. He has given more than 2,000 tours of the Mackinac Bridge from motor coaches, 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.”

The Images of America series celebrates the history of neighborhoods, towns, and cities across the country. Using archival photographs, each title presents the distinctive stories from the past that shape the character of the community today. Arcadia is proud to play a part in the preservation of local heritage, making history available to all.

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Mackinac Bridge “How the bridge was built.”

Paperbound, 127 pages · $24.95 + $5.05 shipping

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