1958 film - Mackinac Bridge The Five Mile Dream

This 1958 film celebrated the construction of the Mackinac Bridge. It's a nice little 10 minute look at how the bridge came to be built. 55 years ago this Friday, the Mackinac Bridge was officially dedicated. While the bridge opened on, November 1, 1957, it was not officially dedicated until the following summer on June 28, 1958.

When you watch this video and realize just how much went into building the Mackinac Bridge - it's amazing to me to think that this was completed so quickly.

Limited number of collectible Mackinac Bridge posters available

The Michigan E-Store has a black and white print of the Mackinac Bridge (30" by 12") available for $6 (which includes shipping and handling). This was one of the four posters designed to commemorate the bridge's 50th anniversary back in 2007. The original four posters sold out rather quickly so I don't expect this one to be available for long. Purchase the Mackinac Bridge poster

The Mackinac Bridge under construction ca. 1956

Included in the slew of old photos I found quite a few gems from Michigan's past. There are about 16 or 18 shots of the Mackinac Bridge during its construction in 1956, the year before it opened. Watch a slideshow of all of the photos I have uploaded so far -

Lights out at the Mackinac Bridge

In an effort to shave approximately $13,000 off of its annual operating costs the Mackinac Bridge Authority and MDOT have put in place a plan to shut off the bridge's decorative lighting beginning at 1 a.m. In the past the decorative lights came on a sunset and shut off at sunrise. This way, folks can still see how pretty the bridge looks all lit up at night and the state can save money too. The roadway lights will remain on for safety, of course.

Read about the Mackinac Bridge Authority's green initiative.

Vintage video of a trip over the Mackinac Bridge in 1958

I love this old 8mm film of someone crossing the Mackinac Bridge in 1958. Not much has changed since then. About halfway across the bridge you even get to see Michigan's unofficial state flower - the orange traffic barrel. It's an authentic steel drum painted orange - not one of those plastic ones you see nowadays. The only thing missing is the audio from AM 530 or 1610 that tells you a brief history of the bridge and gives the current bridge conditions. I always listen to that each time I cross the bridge and I don't think it has changed since I can remember.

Be sure to check out my Mackinac Bridge page for more information on the remaining 50th Anniversary celebrations and the annual Labor Day Bridge Walk.

If the video player doesn't appear, watch it here.

Collection of stories and photos of the Mackinac Bridge

Michigan.gov has a great photo gallery of the Mackinac Bridge celebrating it's 50 years of service. You can view them here. I must admit that the photos would be much better if they did not have a large and ugly watermark slashed across each photo. The photos are broken down into three galleries - Scenic, Events (like the bridge's dedication ceremony), and Construction.

The Traverse City Record Eagle has a slew of articles about the Mackinac Bridge in honor of the 50th anniversary of the bridge's completion. The big celebration for the Mackinac Bridge will take place July 27 & 28 in both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City.

Read Big Mac at 50 for links to other articles at the Traverse City Record Eagle.

P.S. Don't forget to check out the Mackinac Bridge page at Squidoo.