A section of the 5th longest suspension bridge in the world in now a marker at the South Pole…thanks to a Hoosier.
From South Bend to The South Pole
51-year-old, Brendan Fisher from South Bend, is a fan of civil engineering marvels, including the Mighty Mac due to his father. His father, John Fisher, is a civil engineer who “designed half of South Bend” including the East Race Waterway.
Since 2016, used pieces of the Mackinac Bridge are put up for auction. The Mackinac Bridge is his father’s favorite bridge; therefore, Brendan Fisher purchased a piece of grating to make gifts for his family. Brendan also made a sign out of a 38-foot piece he purchased back in 2020. He took it with him to Antarctica.
Source: Serena Collins / Getty
Brendan Fisher is currently on a 13-month assignment with the United States Antarctic Program (USAP) where he is working as a heavy equipment mechanic. Fisher’s job there involves welding and working on the tracked vehicles at the station. Others at the facility are conducting various scientific research projects, including making meteorological observations.
Several pieces of the bridge have made their way to far-flung locales. But Brendan Fisher’s piece has perhaps traveled the farthest.
Source: Stock Life / Getty
How far is the South Pole from the Mackinac Bridge?
Fisher’s co-workers at the station will now know exactly how far they are from the Mackinac Bridge. 9,394 miles according to Fisher’s sign.
Temperatures are at minus 25 degrees and days are filled with 24 hours of sunlight. Fisher will be among the 36 who will stay for winter, when minus 80 degrees is the normal, although minus 90 or 100 isn’t unusual.
Fisher brought more pieces of the bridge with him in hopes of working with the outpost’s machinist to create next year’s official South Pole marker.
And here’s a POV of riding across the Mighty Mac on a motorcycle:
