Mackinac Bridge Antique Tractor Crossing

I went up with a few of my farmer friends to the 7th Annual Mackinac Bridge Antique Tractor Crossing a few weeks ago. It rained early in the morning, but cleared up about 10 am. They closed off one of the lanes going north for the tractor crossing. There was over 800 tractors that cross the bridge this year, and they hope to get over a 1000 next year, presented by Owosso Tractor Parts. Three people drove there tractors from lower Wisconsin to the Mackinac Bridge, it took them over three days to go over 400 miles to get there. Later that day they had a tractor show, and the next day they had tractor games.
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I was at K.I.Sawyer for three years and looking at your pictures, I sure wish I had made it a point to visit that bridge at least once.
SDE
 
Happy to see some Nebraska boys out there enjoying the ride. They are Josh King and his dad Tom(i think) from Oakland Nebraska. Reconized his Great Nebraska Tractor Ride magnet.
 
Some of the requirements for the tractor bridge crossing are, each tractor must have a clevis and tow chain, a fire extinguisher, and they have to belong to a tractor club too have insurance on them and there tractor.
 
Being a farm kid of many years ago, I really enjoyed your photographs.
Being a Structural Engineer I really admire the Engineering and Construction that went into the creation of that bridge. I have a feeling there were many days of deplorable weather while working on its construction.
 
I have crossed 6 of those 7 years. Started the second year hauled 6 tractors up the first year, and has increased each year since. Last year I hauled 21 up and 24 back. This year was 24 both ways. There were 910 tractors according to the bridge count. I get six tractors on each load. If I knew how to post pictures of the loads I would.
It has only rained this year that I know of. Last year there was a short shower just before leaving the staging yard west of Mackinaw City.
 

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