Your Mackinaw Bridge Stories?

[se3racing]

Many times across but the funniest was 2012 heading up sledding. It was like 4:00 in the morning heading North, they had the high wind signs and convoy signs a flashing. There were no cars or truck in the convoy line yet but there was a Bridge Authority truck on the left with light flashing. I go to my buddy Hudman **** we have to pull over. Hudman says I don't see anyone nail it. So I don't stop we go by the Bridge Authority truck, I look in the rear view mirror I see the guy get out of his truck wildly waving his arms. It was snowing and windy going across, I,m worried what's going to happen to me when I get to the other side. Hudman goes "just act like you know what you are doing." Need less to say nothing happened, and we cracked two Bud Lights like we always do when we cross the Mighty Mac.

 

[chords]

" Hudman says I don't see anyone nail it. So I don't stop we go by the Bridge Authority truck, I look in the rear view mirror I see the guy get out of his truck wildly waving his arms "

That's funny. Don't try that at the next bridge into the Soo.

 

[eao]

We did some survey work (DOT) on the north approach in the 80's . They offered to take us up to the top of the North Tower (2 man elevator) but I did not go. One of the other guys did and he said he could see Escanaba. The Fed's (FBI etc) had a radio repeater on the tower and our radio technicain had to go up there and service it from time to time.


The NGS Data Sheet

See file dsdata.txt for more information about the datasheet.

PROGRAM = datasheet95, VERSION = 8.3
1 National Geodetic Survey, Retrieval Date = OCTOBER 29, 2013
QK0249 ***********************************************************************
QK0249 DESIGNATION - A 2
QK0249 PID - QK0249
QK0249 STATE/COUNTY- MI/MACKINAC
QK0249 COUNTRY - US
QK0249 USGS QUAD - ST IGNACE (1976)
QK0249
QK0249 *CURRENT SURVEY CONTROL
QK0249 ______________________________________________________________________
QK0249* NAD 83(1994) POSITION- 45 50 50.27400(N) 084 43 23.98667(W) ADJUSTED
QK0249* NAVD 88 ORTHO HEIGHT - 177.331 (meters) 581.79 (feet) ADJUSTED
QK0249 ______________________________________________________________________
QK0249 LAPLACE CORR - -3.96 (seconds) DEFLEC12A
QK0249 GEOID HEIGHT - -35.39 (meters) GEOID12A
QK0249 DYNAMIC HEIGHT - 177.337 (meters) 581.81 (feet) COMP
QK0249 MODELED GRAVITY - 980,647.2 (mgal) NAVD 88
QK0249
QK0249 HORZ ORDER - FIRST
QK0249 VERT ORDER - FIRST CLASS II
QK0249
QK0249.The horizontal coordinates were established by classical geodetic methods
QK0249.and adjusted by the National Geodetic Survey in February 1997.
QK0249.
QK0249.The orthometric height was determined by differential leveling and
QK0249.adjusted by the NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY
QK0249.in June 1991.
QK0249
QK0249.The Laplace correction was computed from DEFLEC12A derived deflections.
QK0249
QK0249.The dynamic height is computed by dividing the NAVD 88
QK0249.geopotential number by the normal gravity value computed on the
QK0249.Geodetic Reference System of 1980 (GRS 80) ellipsoid at 45
QK0249.degrees latitude (g = 980.6199 gals.).
QK0249
QK0249.The modeled gravity was interpolated from observed gravity values.
QK0249
QK0249. The following values were computed from the NAD 83(1994) position.
QK0249
QK0249; North East Units Scale Factor Converg.
QK0249;SPC MI N - 120,792.991 8,176,806.554 MT 0.99993188 +1 38 44.0
QK0249;SPC MI N - 396,302.46 26,826,793.16 iFT 0.99993188 +1 38 44.0
QK0249;UTM 16 - 5,079,602.006 676,770.859 MT 0.99998417 +1 38 02.0
QK0249
QK0249! - Elev Factor x Scale Factor = Combined Factor
QK0249!SPC MI N - 0.99997775 x 0.99993188 = 0.99990963
QK0249!UTM 16 - 0.99997775 x 0.99998417 = 0.99996192
QK0249
QK0249: Primary Azimuth Mark Grid Az
QK0249:SPC MI N - MACKINAW CITY MUNICIPAL TANK 178 31 46.6
QK0249:UTM 16 - MACKINAW CITY MUNICIPAL TANK 178 32 28.6
QK0249
QK0249|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
QK0249| PID Reference Object Distance Geod. Az |
QK0249| dddmmss.s |
QK0249| QK0736 MACKINAC IS GRAND HOTEL TANK APPROX. 7.5 KM 0862642.3 |
QK0249| QK0726 ROUND ISLAND LIGHT APPROX. 8.4 KM 0931116.9 |
QK0249| QK0734 MACKINAW CITY MUNICIPAL TANK APPROX. 7.1 KM 1801030.6 |
QK0249|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
QK0249
QK0249 SUPERSEDED SURVEY CONTROL
QK0249
QK0249 NAD 83(1986)- 45 50 50.26683(N) 084 43 23.98582(W) AD( ) 1
QK0249 NAD 27 - 45 50 50.22400(N) 084 43 23.80900(W) AD( ) 1
QK0249 NGVD 29 (??/??/92) 177.373 (m) 581.93 (f) ADJ UNCH 1 2
QK0249
QK0249.Superseded values are not recommended for survey control.
QK0249
QK0249.NGS no longer adjusts projects to the NAD 27 or NGVD 29 datums.
QK0249.See file dsdata.txt to determine how the superseded data were derived.
QK0249
QK0249_U.S. NATIONAL GRID SPATIAL ADDRESS: 16TFR7677079602(NAD 83)
QK0249
QK0249_MARKER: P = PIPE CAP
QK0249_SETTING: 17 = SET INTO TOP OF METAL PIPE DRIVEN INTO GROUND
QK0249_SP_SET: METAL PIPE DRIVEN INTO GROUND
QK0249_STABILITY: D = MARK OF QUESTIONABLE OR UNKNOWN STABILITY
QK0249
QK0249 HISTORY - Date Condition Report By
QK0249 HISTORY - 1954 MONUMENTED MIDH
QK0249 HISTORY - 1956 SEE DESCRIPTION CGS
QK0249 HISTORY - UNK GOOD NGS
QK0249
QK0249 STATION DESCRIPTION
QK0249
QK0249'DESCRIBED BY MI DEPT OF HIGHWAYS 1954 (CTH)
QK0249'STATION IS SITUATED 1.5 MILES WEST OF ST. IGNACE AT THE NORTHERN END
QK0249'OF THE MOLE SECTION COMPRISING THE NORTHERN APPROACH TO THE PROPOSED
QK0249'STRAITS OF MACKINAC BRIDGE.
QK0249'THIS POINT IS THE ORIGINAL NORTHERN POINT DESIGNATING THE CENTERLINE OF THE BRIDGE AND
QK0249'WAS ESTABLISHED BY THE MICHIGAN STATE HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT. THE MARK IS A 2-BY 48-INCH IRON PIPE
QK0249'WITH CAP, WITH TRIANGLE AND PUNCHMARK INSCRIBED ON TOP. THIS MARK IS 8 FEET BELOW THE PRESENT
QK0249'GROUND LEVEL, ACCESS TO SAME BY BRICK-SIDED CIRCULAR MANHOLE WITH STANDARD SEWER MANHOLE
QK0249'COLLAR AND LID. THE PIPE MARKER IS SET IN CONCRETE, WITH JUST THE CAP PROTRUDING FROM THE CONCRETE.
QK0249'UNLESS TRANSFERRED TO THE BRIDGE LEVEL LATER THIS MARKER WILL BE INACCESSIBLE AFTER THE BRIDGE IS COMPLETED.
QK0249
QK0249 STATION RECOVERY (1956)
QK0249
QK0249'RECOVERY NOTE BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1956 (WNM)
QK0249'THE STATION MARK WAS RECOVERED AS DESCRIBED AND FOUND IN GOOD
QK0249'CONDITION. THE AREA IS STILL UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND THE DESCRIPTION IS ADEQUATE AT THE
QK0249'PRESENT TIME.
QK0249'
QK0249'MR. JACK KENNY, BRIDGE ENGINEER, STATES THAT THE CIRCULAR MANHOLE THAT IS BUILT AROUND THE
QK0249'STATION MARK WILL BE EXTENDED UP TO THE BRIDGE APPROACH AND THE STATION MARK WILL BE PRESERVED.
QK0249

 

[nytro]

This is one I'll never forget. For the past few years my wife and I take our boat to Mac City for the Labor Day weekend. It's a bright yellow 32' BAJA. I say to her "lets go take a look at the bridge from underneath". So I head out to the bridge, come off plane and we're idling about. Way off in the distance I see a boat heading in what looks like our direction. I say to my wife " I think that boat is comming toward us" Yep, you guested it, HOMELAND SECURITY wearing body armor and guns ! They were cool, they said keep it moving. I think had my lovely wife not been with me I'd still be at Guantanamo Bay.

 

[surtrack]

I was in the Navy aboard a Patrol Craft Escort (training ship) out of Milwaukee, Wi. from 1955 through 1959. During the summer we went under the bridge while being built every two weeks. It was an unbelievable sight !!!! We the 1st Navy ship to go through the St Lawrence Seaway to Canada about 1957. I am now 75 years old and very proud.

 

[anonomoose]

I was in the Navy aboard a Patrol Craft Escort (training ship) out of Milwaukee, Wi. from 1955 through 1959. During the summer we went under the bridge while being built every two weeks. It was an unbelievable sight !!!! We the 1st Navy ship to go through the St Lawrence Seaway to Canada about 1957. I am now 75 years old and very proud.

I vote this the coolest memory! Sadly I only took the ferry boat next to the bridge and my first memory if it was when the span was completed about one year before completion.

 

[buddah2]

I don't have any really cool bridge story but I was the last vehicle across before they closed it for like 18 hrs. Sometime around 2000 I was headed up with my sleds in my 2-place enclosed. It was blowing pretty good but they still let me go. As soon as I got off of the north end and swung around on US 2 I had to pull up in a side road for 4+ hrs. Visibility was so bad I was afraid a semi would run over the top of me if I stayed near the road. An interesting trip.

 

[xc500mod]

I don't have any really cool bridge story but I was the last vehicle across before they closed it for like 18 hrs. Sometime around 2000 I was headed up with my sleds in my 2-place enclosed. It was blowing pretty good but they still let me go. As soon as I got off of the north end and swung around on US 2 I had to pull up in a side road for 4+ hrs. Visibility was so bad I was afraid a semi would run over the top of me if I stayed near the road. An interesting trip.

How frequently does the bridge close in the winter? i am planning on crossing the bridge for the first time ever. it will be in early february. it will just be me in my truck with the sled in the bed.

thanks, xc500mod

 

[Bradzoo]

It only close's when the weather or wind is bad enough, your sled in a truck will be able to cross when guy's with enclosed trailers can't, just keep an eye on the weather alot of times they'll just make you slow down to 20mph if its bad enough and somethimes they will escort small groups it just depends on the situation , I alway seem to get stuck in the lower trying to get to the upper not the the other way around.

Bradzoo

 

[yoopermike]

Picture from the south tower looking north at the motherland from earlier this summer, and two old photos of the deer hunters lineup from back in the day.

 

[anonomoose]

I have been in "line" going over and watched as 18 wheelers tip to one side enough to have the rear wheels lift off the pavement. Cars rarely do that but an empty cargo truck has lots of surface area for the wind to blow and lift.

I doubt the guy even knew it happened. But I was right there to see it~

 

[98panther]

Maybe like this ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCGxoVxO86Q

 

[xc500mod]

It only close's when the weather or wind is bad enough, your sled in a truck will be able to cross when guy's with enclosed trailers can't, just keep an eye on the weather alot of times they'll just make you slow down to 20mph if its bad enough and somethimes they will escort small groups it just depends on the situation , I alway seem to get stuck in the lower trying to get to the upper not the the other way around.

Bradzoo

Thanks Bradzoo. I'm new to the land of trolls so I'm a rookie.

 

[Bradzoo]

Thanks Bradzoo. I'm new to the land of trolls so I'm a rookie.

You'll do ok, most crossing are very uneventful but you will always remember the 1st time.

Bradzoo

 

[anonomoose]

While it is easy to see how this light unit tipped on it's side....it is another to see a big box truck do it...you're not going to just hope out and lift it back up again. Winds on this bridge can be brutal.

 

[mjkaliszak]

Picture from the south tower looking north at the motherland from earlier this summer, and two old photos of the deer hunters lineup from back in the day.

That's pretty Cool, My friends dad was a DOT supervisor ( before he passed away several years ago ). He used to be able to go to the top....
Nice Shot

I too, always get stuck down low, going up. Never the other way around. I have never been unable due to weather, but have been escorted several times.

 

[Winterrules]

Mackinaw Bridge Stories

Several years ago my brother-in-law and I were at the top of the bridge in very windy conditions and one pin from our 2 place covered trailer came out and turned our trailer into a sailboat. He says to me I will get out and put the pin back in (in my mind I think he's crazy), could not even get the door open on the truck. Right after this happened some guy pulling a very small empty trailer in front of us knocks the back window out of a car. This did not make the situation any better in our minds after seeing that. We did make it across with no mishaps, and the bridge did shut down when we got off it. God was watching out for us that day!