Piece of Mackinac Bridge finds new home more than 9,000 miles away

Karly Graham, The Petoskey News-Review
·1 min read
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A shadowbox with photos and a piece of the Mackinac Bridge steel used to make the current ceremonial and geographical South Pole markers, presented by Brendan Fisher to the Mackinac Bridge Authority.
A shadowbox with photos and a piece of the Mackinac Bridge steel used to make the current ceremonial and geographical South Pole markers, presented by Brendan Fisher to the Mackinac Bridge Authority.

ST. IGNACE — An iconic piece of Michigan infrastructure has found a new home in the 9,300-foot-thick sheet of ice that marks the South Pole.

Brendan Fisher, a heavy equipment mechanic for the United States Antarctic Program, began a 13-month stint on the continent in October 2022. He brought a piece of the Mackinac Bridge with him to the South Pole, which is 9,394 miles away. He then brought the piece of the bridge back with him and presented it to the Mackinac Bridge Authority during their April 5 meeting.

Brendan Fisher presents a shadowbox with photos and a piece of Mackinac Bridge steel used to make the current ceremonial and geographical South Pole markers to the Mackinac Bridge Authority.
Brendan Fisher presents a shadowbox with photos and a piece of Mackinac Bridge steel used to make the current ceremonial and geographical South Pole markers to the Mackinac Bridge Authority.

The authority was gifted a shadowbox with the piece of the bridge — minus a circular piece that was cut out and is now a part of the ceremonial South Pole marker — along with photos from its time at the pole.

Fisher purchased a 38-foot piece of the original deck grating in auction in November 2020, nearly two years before his trip began. Along with Hans Suedhoff, another team member from the trip to the South Pole, a piece of the bridge found a home in the markers as well as a photo frame.

The current ceremonial South Pole marker, which includes pieces from the Mackinac Bridge original steel deck grating.
The current ceremonial South Pole marker, which includes pieces from the Mackinac Bridge original steel deck grating.

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The photo frame was joined at the corners using four bolts from the bridge. Last year's "wintercrew" team, including Fisher and Suedhoff, is pictured in the frame.

The geographical South Pole is replaced every Jan. 1., according to a press release. Once the marker is retired, it moves to a display cabinet held at the Antarctic station for 20-30 years, and then it will be sent to the Smithsonian.

— Contact reporter Karly Graham at kgraham@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter at @KarlyGrahamJRN. 

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Piece of Mackinac Bridge finds new home more than 9,000 miles away