As sections of the bridge’s two interior lanes age, they are replaced, and up until about two years ago they were taken to a scrap yard.
Bob Sweeney is the Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Mackinac Bridge. He said there are a number of things the pieces have been used for.
“They make works of art out of them, and other people are using them for functional purposes, I know that there’s a gentleman wants to make a deck out of one, I know other people have used them for their docks, some people are making bridges in rural locations,” said Sweeney.
He said the pieces come from the two interior lanes of the bridge -- the ones made up of metal grates. Sweeney explained that the bridge is still completely safe, but the metal grates are getting old, and it’s time for them to be replaced.
“There seemed to be a lot of interest in them, a lot of people were asking us about them to see if they could purchase them,” he said. “So we looked into it and we put those up for auction. We called them Vintage Mackinac Bridge steel sections and we’re getting anywhere from 270 dollars per section to as high as over 1500 dollars per section.”
Sweeney said the pieces are sold in large 40 foot chucks, so if someone desires a smaller piece, they can pay to have the size reduced.
To bid on a section of the bridge, click here, or visit the Mackinac Bridge Authority website.