Mackinac Bridge piece finds new home in South Pole
Brendan Fisher, left, and Troy Leighton pose at the South Pole with a sign Fisher made with steel from the Mackinac Bridge deck grating, listing the distance to the Mackinac Bridge from Antarctica.
ST. IGNACE, Mich. (FOX 2) - An old piece of Michigan's most famous bridge has found new life in the South Pole.
Brendan Fisher, a native of Indiana who successfully bid on a piece of the original deck of the Mackinac Bridge, converted it into a sign with a very special number: 9,384. It's the number of miles the sign is from its original home over the straits of Mackinac.
Now it's on permanent display at the United States Antarctic Program's facility.
The 51-year-old recently started a 13-month-long assignment as a heavy equipment mechanic on Antarctica, a release from the Michigan Department of Transportation said. Fisher is being dispatched as part of an international scientific investigation at the remote research site.
While on site, Fisher will be working as a welder and helping with tracked vehicles that work around the station, such as dozers and tractors.
Fisher says his inspiration for the piece, which was cut from a 38-foot section of the bridge's previous deck grating, was his dad. His father designed much of South Bend where Fisher now lives. The Mackinac Bridge was also his dad's favorite bridge.
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Antarctica might be one of the world's most remote places, but Fisher is no stranger to extreme trips. As a heavy haul truck driver, he's moved giant pieces of equipment - including a crane used to unload a Space Shuttle from the NASA 747.
He's also worked on Isle Royale among many other stints in the National Parks system.