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> Highway Bridge Safety > Mackinac Bridge > International Bridge > Blue Water Bridge > Historic Bridge Info

Printer Friendly    Text Version  Email Page Facts & Figures LENGTHS Total Length of Bridge (5 Miles) 26,372 Ft. Total Length of Steel Superstructure 19,243 Ft. Length of Suspension Bridge (including Anchorages) 8,614 Ft. Total Length of North Approach 7,129 Ft. Length of Main Span (between Main Towers) 3,800 Ft.   8,038 Meters 5,865 Meters 2,626 Meters 2,173 Meters 1,158 Meters HEIGHTS AND DEPTHS Height of Main Towers above Water 552 Ft. 168.25 Meters Maximum Depth to Rock at Midspan Unknown Unknown Maximum Depth of Water at Midspan 295 Ft. 90 Meters Maximum Depth of Tower Piers below Water 210 Ft. 64 Meters Height of Roadway above Water at Midspan 199 Ft. 61 Meters Underclearance at Midspan for Ships 155 Ft. 47 Meters Maximum Depth of Water at Piers 142 Ft. 43 Meters Maximum Depth of Piers Sunk through Overburden 105 Ft. 32 Meters CABLES Total Length of Wire in Main Cables 42,000 Miles 67,592 Kilometers Maximum Tension in Each Cable 16,000 Tons 14,515,995 Kilograms Number of Wires in Each Cable 12,580 Weight of Cables 11,840 Tons 10,741,067 Kilograms Diameter of Main Cables 24 1/2 Inches 62.23 Centimeters Diameter of Each Wire 0.196 Inches .498   Centimeters CONCRETE Total Concrete in Bridge 466,300 Cu. Yds. 356,512 Cu. Meters Total Concrete in Substructure 451,000 Cu. Yds. 344,814 Cu. Meters Total Concrete in One Anchorage (No. 22) 91,600 Cu. Yds. 70,033 Cu. Meters Total Concrete in One Pier (No. 19) 80,600 Cu. Yds. 61,623 Cu. Meters Total Concrete in Superstructure 15,300 Cu. Yds. 11,698 Cu. Meters WEIGHTS Total Weight of Bridge 1,024,500 Tons 929,410,766 Kilograms Total Weight of Concrete 931,000 Tons 844,589 Kilograms Total Weight of Substructure 919,100 Tons 326,931,237 Kilograms Total Weight of Two Anchorages 360,380 Tons 326,931,237 Kilograms Total Weight of Two Main Piers 318,000 Tons 288,484,747 Kilograms Total Weight of Superstructure 104,400 Tons 94,710,097 Kilograms Total Weight of Structural Steel 71,300  Tons 64,682,272 Kilograms Weight of Steel in Each Main Tower 6,500    Tons 5,896,701 Kilograms Total Weight of Cable Wire 11,840  Tons 10,741,067 Kilograms Total Weight of Concrete Roadway 6,660    Tons 6,041,850 Kilograms Total Weight of Reinforcing Steel 3,700    Tons 3,356,584 Kilograms RIVETS AND BOLTS Total Number of Steel Rivets 4,851,700 Total Number of Steel Bolts 1,016,600 DESIGN AND DETAIL DRAWINGS Total Number of Engineering Drawings 4,000 Total Number of Blueprints 85,000 MEN EMPLOYED Total, at the Bridge Site 3,500 At Quarries, Shops, Mills, etc. 7,500 Total Number of Engineers 350   IMPORTANT DATES Mackinac Bridge Authority Appointed June, 1950 Board of Three Engineers Retained June, 1950 Report of Board of Engineers January, 1951 Financing and Construction Authorized by Legislature April 30, 1952 D.B. Steinman Selected as Engineer January, 1953 Preliminary Plans and Estimates Completed March, 1953 Construction Contracts Negotiated March, 1953 Bids Received for Sale of Bonds December 17, 1953 Began Construction May 7, 1954 Open to traffic November 1, 1957 Formal dedication June 25-28, 1958 50 millionth crossing September 25, 1984 40th Anniversary Celebration November 1, 1997 100 millionth crossing June 25, 1998

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