Most People Have No Idea How Long the Mackinac Bridge Actually Is

Michigan's Mackinac Bridge is one of the true wonders of the state. It connects the Upper and Lower Peninsula and carries millions of vehicles a year over the Straits of Mackinac.

The bridge, completed in 1957, replaced a ferry service that caused miles-long back-ups as traffic waited to make the journey.

👇🏼BELOW: These Michigan Highways Come to a Complete Dead End + 24 Bridges to Enter the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that Aren't the Mackinac Bridge👇🏼

While the bridge was completed at the narrowest point within the Straits of Mackinac which connect Lake Michigan to Lake Huron, the span is quite long. A length that many, native Michiganders and visitors alike often fail to grasp.

The topic came up recently on Reddit in in the subreddit dedicated to geography. A poster made the remark the bridge is much longer than people realize.

Indeed it is. At 5 miles or 8 kilometers (4.995 mi, 8.038 km to be precise), the bridge earns its accolades as the largest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere and 27th longest bridge in the world.

Many shared their thoughts on our beloved Mighty Mac:

This is one of the few bridges where I'm afraid when crossing it. The water it crosses is often choppy and it's so long.
The middle lanes of the Mackinac Bridge are also an open steel grate. This was done to break up the wind resonance that caused the Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse
Yeah, and they make a "EEEEEEOOOOOOOOOOOAEEEEEEEEAEAEAAEAEAAAEEAAE" sound when you're driving over them. Pretty surreal in addition to driving under one of those bigass arches with the seemingly endless water around you
Just recently drove over it and I was white knuckles for the entire time. I also hate driving over bridges.

While the bridge is the longest in the state. Many don't know that's it's not the largest - that honor belongs to the I-75 bridge over River Rogue in downriver Metro Detroit.

These Michigan Highways Come to a Complete Dead End

Nearly all highways exist to connect you from one place to another. When you come to the end of the road, there's almost always somewhere else to go. Somewhere to turn. But there are parts of Michigan's highway system that don't leave you anywhere else to go - Michigan's dead end state highways.

Gallery Credit: Eric Meier

24 Bridges to Enter the Upper Peninsula of Michigan that Aren't the Mackinac Bridge

Some people just don't enjoy crossing the majestic Mackinac Bridge. For others it's not in the route of thier travel. There are at least 24 other bridges that travelers can use to enter Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Here they are from east to west

Source: Most People Have No Idea How Long Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge Actually Is

Filed Under: Mackinac Bridge, roads