You Can Own a Piece of the Mighty Mac – Vintage Parts of the Mackinac Bridge Up for Auction
Want to own a piece of Michigan history? Vintage pieces of the Mackinac Bridge are are up for auction!
Five pieces of steel deck grating from the Mackinac Bridge, the 5th longest suspension bridge in the world, are on the auction block.
Each piece is approximately 5 1/2 feet X 38 feet, 5 inches deep, and weighs about two tons.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority says,
Condition is used with corrosion and section loss appropriate to steel that is 60 years old.
Bidding is open now here through January 19, 2022 at 11a.m.
Checking out the bids, at least for now, the lowest bid is for $410 and the highest bid is for $610. If you have any questions you can call the MBA at 906-643-7600.
So what does one do with vintage steel deck grating from the Mackinac Bridge? Hmmm. As is it could make a pretty cool lawn fixture or gigantic piece of wall art. Someone craftier than I could turn it into... I dunno, a coffee table or a work bench?
If you're interested in owning a piece of the Mackinac Bridge but don't feel like shelling out more than $100, the MBA also has smaller vintage parts they sell. This past fall the MBA was offering 5″ x 11″ and 5″ x 8″ grate parts for sale for $20.00 each at their administration office, which is open 24/7.
Kim Nowack, director of the Mackinac Bridge Authority, tells Wood TV 8,
“We have small pieces of grating that...we sell at our administration building. And so those are currently sold out and we are waiting until next spring’s construction work until we sell those again, but people can stop in then and buy that small piece of grating for $20."
The iconic bridge is certainly a sight to behold, but it's also important to remember to be cautious and alert when driving over it. Last week there was a scary-looking accident that closed down the Mackinac Bridge and almost pushed a pick-up truck into the Straits of Mackinac.