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It isn't just a way to get to and from the Upper Peninsula; it's a sight to behold. Envisioned since the late 19th century, it was finally begun in the 1950s and completed in 1957. The two towers are visible from almost any high ground in the area, and watching the illumination of the bridge's lights is a nightly ritual akin to watching the sun set. Despite its size, the bridge was never record-breaking since suspension bridges are usually measured from tower to tower (the suspended center span) and the record belonged at the time to the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. For that reason, the bridge was formally dedicated as "the world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages", record it lost to other bridges in Asia, hence the revised title of "the world's longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere". The bridge has now the 10th longest center span in the world and the 3rd in the United States.
The Mackinac Bridge is a suspension bridge that connects the Upper and Lower peninsulas of the U.S. state of Michigan. It spans the Straits of Mackinac, a body of water connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, two of the Great Lakes. Opened in 1957, the 26,372-foot-long bridge is the world's 32nd-longest main span and is the longest suspension bridge between anchorages in the Western Hemisphere. The Mackinac Bridge is part of Interstate 75 (I-75) and carries the Lake Michigan and Huron components of the Great Lakes Circle Tour across the straits; it is also a segment of the U.S. North Country National Scenic Trail. The bridge connects the city of St. Ignace to the north with the village of Mackinaw City to the south.
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