ST. IGNACE, Mich. – A piece of the Mackinac Bridge is serving as part of the ceremonial South Pole marker.
Brendan Fisher, a heavy equipment mechanic, brought pieces of the Mackinac Bridge with him when he started his 13-month journey working for the United States Antarctic Program (USAP).
At the Mackinac Bridge Authority’s (MBA) April 5 meeting, Fisher shared a shadowbox with a piece of the bridge’s original deck grating and photos from the South Pole. Part of the original deck grating is still at the South Pole, serving as part of the ceremonial South Pole marker.
Fisher worked in Antarctica from October 2022 to November 2023. Fisher previously built a sign from a 38-foot piece of the original deck grating he bought at auction in November 2020. The sign says the distance from the South Pole to the Mackinac Bridge is 9,394 miles and is on display at the Antarctic station.
Fisher said there are two pole markers, since the ice sheet moves about 10 meters per year. “There’s Mackinac Bridge in both of them now,” Fisher said.
The geographical South Pole is replaced every year on Jan. 1. When the marker is removed, it is placed ina display cabinet in the Antarctic station for 20 to 30 years. When the cabinet is full, the markers are sent to the Smithsonian where they remain permanently.