‘Take Home Size’ Pieces of Mackinac Bridge Grating Now For Sale

Three years after the initial offering, you can finally take home a more manageable size of the Mackinac Bridge as a new auction has smaller pieces for sale.

It takes a lot of work to maintain the largest suspension bridge in the western hemisphere. Since the historic opening in 1957, the Mackinac Bridge Authority has spent a lot of time each year ensuring the structure is safe. Every Spring, 6-20 pieces of the steel grating are replaced. In April of 2018, the scrap metal was put up for auction to Michiganders who love the Mighty Mac. Here's the catch: the original grating was sold just as it came off the bridge: in pieces 5 1/2' long and x 38' wide, weighing TWO TONS.

Smaller 10' x 10' sections weighing 200 lbs. were auctioned off, in June of 2019, with bids starting at just $10. Still, that's a big load and a lot of those little red flags to put on your vehicle. Nonetheless, these ultimate Michigan souvenirs sold out. Now, the Mackinac Bridge Authority is selling what I'm calling "fun size pieces" in a take-home size. These pieces of original steel grating from the Mackinac Bridge range in size from 5"x 8" to 5"x11," with approximately 140 pieces in each 55-gallon barrel, weighing about 470 pounds. Five lots are offered, with bids starting at $200. The auction ends May 18.

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