At 1,200 feet, SkyBridge Michigan is the longest suspension bridge with wooden support towers in the world. A section of glass lets visitors look straight down to the valley 120 feet below.

Courtesy of SkyBridge Michigan, Boyne Mountain Resort

STANDARDS

Common Core: RH.6-8.1, RH.6-8.4, RH.6-8.7, WHST.6-8.4, RI.6-8.1, RI.6-8.4, RI.6-8.7, W.6-8.4

NCSS: People, Places, and Environments • Science, Technology, and Society

GEOGRAPHY

That’s a Stretch!

If you plan to cross this bridge, give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the view. After all, the brand-new SkyBridge Michigan, which hangs between ridges at Boyne Mountain in the Great Lakes State, measures a record 1,200 feet. That makes it the world’s longest suspension bridge with timber support towers.

Most suspension bridges are held up by cables strung between steel or concrete towers. But SkyBridge’s cables are supported by big wooden towers, weighing 110,000 pounds on each side.

A local ski resort opened the bridge this past October. The span, which sits 120 feet in the air, offers panoramic views of the surrounding valley.

SkyBridge’s 5-foot-wide walking deck is built solely for pedestrians, and you can get to the bridge only by chairlift. 

Visitors who make the trek across are in for a surprise. The middle of the deck has a 36-foot-long section of glass, featuring views of skiers whizzing downhill during the winter—and the ground straight down beneath your feet all year long!

Courtesy of SkyBridge Michigan, Boyne Mountain Resort

SKILL SPOTLIGHT: Analyzing Images

1. What do you first notice about this bridge?

2. What details from the article does the smaller photo reinforce?

3. Would you want to walk across this bridge? Why or why not?

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Lesson Plan (1)
Text-to-Speech