♪
IRONWORKERS ARE A CULTURE UNTO
THEMSELVES.
THEY ARE FEARLESS.
THEY CLIMB, THEY WORK AT
HEIGHTS, THEY WORKING HEAVY
EQUIPMENT.
>> ON TOP OF THE CAISSONS,
IRONWORKERS WITH RIVET THE
TOWERS OF THE MACKINAC BRIDGE
TOGETHER INSTRUCTIONS.
EVENTUALLY THE TOWERS WOULD SOAR
550 FEET ABOVE THE TURBULENT
WATER.
TO IMPROVE SAFETY ON SITE,
ENGINEER DAVID STEINMAN BELIEVED
IN REHEARSAL OFF-SITE
IRONWORKERS IF TOGETHER BEFORE
BUT IF THEY JUST PUT TOGETHER A
PART OF IT.
>> A PREFABRICATED THE TOWERS ON
THE THAT TOOK THEM APART BEFORE
THE FLOOD OF THEM SECTIONS UP TO
THE STREETS BUT THE WORK ON THE
WATER WAS NOT OVER YET THE
ENTIRE STRUCTURE DEPENDED ON
FACEPLATES THAT WERE 4 INCHES
THICK.
>> IT IS CRITICAL BECAUSE IF THE
PLATE ISN’T SET STRAIGHT AND
TRUE, YOUR COLUMN IS NOT GOING
TO BE STRAIGHT AND TRUE.
>> LEVELING FACEPLATES WAS A HARROWING JOB.
HARROWING JOB.
>> IT COMES IN A CRANE ON A
BARGE SO YOU’RE KIND OF MOVING
AROUND, YOU’VE GOT WAVES AND
WIND COMING AT YOU AND YOU HAVE
TO SET IT TRUE BECAUSE IT’S
GOING TO BE THE BASE OF YOUR
ENTIRE TOWER.
♪
>> ONCE THE PLATES WERE SECURE,
IRONWORKERS WERE ORDERED TO
MOUNT THE FIRST SECTION FROM THE
SAME BARGE BUT THE ROLLING DECK
MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE.
>> THEY STOP USING THE BARGE AND
START USING THE CLEANER.
A CREEPER IS A BOOM MOUNTED TO
THE TOWER ITSELF AND FILLS THE
PIECES UP.
♪
>> ALL SUMMER AND INTO THE FALL,
WORKERS INCHED UP INTO THE
MICHIGAN SKY.
WALKING IN PLACE 10000 TONS OF
STEEL.
THE TOPMOST PEACE WAS IN STORE 552 FEET ABOVE THE STREETS.
552 FEET ABOVE THE STREETS.
♪
>> JUST LIKE TODAY, IT’S CALLED
TOPPING OFF IN THE AMERICAN
FIBROUS PLUM.
THAT WAS A REALLY BIG DAY.
>> TO CELEBRATE, THE MACKINAC
BRIDGE, APPRENTICE BROWN WENT TO
THE TOP.
>> HE’S KIND OF SURPRISED WHEN
THE WORKER SAID YOU’RE COMING UP TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER.
TO THE TOP OF THE TOWER. ♪
>> 350 FEET LOW, THE ROADWAY OF
THE BRIDGE WOULD BE SUSPENDED BY
HUNDREDS OF VERTICAL CABLES.
THOSE WOULD HANG FROM PAIR OF
MAIN CABLES, 24 INCHES IN
DIAMETER.
♪
TO HANG THE CABLES, THE CREW HAD
TO CONSTRUCT A TEMPORARY
SIDEWALK IN THE SKY.
INSTEAD OF HEAVY STEEL, THEY
TRIED SOMETHING LIGHTER.
>> THEY HOISTED ROLES OF
CHAIN-LINK FENCE TO THE TOP OF
THE TOWERS THEY WERE GOING TO
STRETCH THE CHAIN-LINK FENCE
PIECES OUT TO MAKE A WALKWAY,
LIKE A CATWALK.
THE HEIGHT WAS A PROBLEM FOR
MOPPING OVER THE WATER WAS A
PROBLEM.
>> THE CATWALK IS ONE OF THE
MOST FRIGHTENING THINGS I THINK
I’VE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE.
>> BOUNCING 40 STORIES ABOVE THE
WATER, TWO MEN MEANT TO MARK THE
COMPLETION OF THE CATWALK WITH A
HIGH WIRE HANDSHAKE.
THE AERIAL ACROBATICS WERE JUST
BEGINNING TO CREATE THE ENORMOUS
CABLES BETWEEN THE TOWERS, THEY
USED A GIANT SPINNING WHEEL.
♪
THE WHEEL DEPARTED EIGHT SMALL
WIRES WITH EVERY ROUND TRIP BUT
IT WOULD TAKE 12,000 OF THESE TO
MAKE EACH MAIN CABLE A SINGLE
SPINNING WHEEL WOULD NEVER GET
THE JOB DONE BEFORE IT SET IN.
SO STEINMAN ADDED A SECOND.
>> ONE WOULD RUN NORTH TO SOUTH
AND ONE SOUTH TO NORTH AND THERE
WOULD ALWAYS MEET RIGHT IN THE
MIDDLE.
WAS THAT HIGHLY DEFINED
OPERATION.
>> THOSE CRISSCROSSING REELS
FIND TO KNOCK THEM OFF THE
CATWALK SOMEBODY GOT CREATIVE.
♪
>> THEY PUT CATALAN THE WHEEL SO
EVERY TIME IT ROTATED, THERAPY
CLANKING OF THE COWBELLS TO
ALERT WORKERS.
>> IT WAS ONE CASE WHERE NOBODY
IN HIS RIGHT MIND WOULD ASK FOR
MORE COWBELL.
THE CABLING GROUP SPUN AN
ASTONISHING 42000 MILES OF CABLE
AND 78 DAYS.
>> VERY MUCH A GREAT SENSE OF
PRIDE BY COLLECTIVE EFFORTS TO
BRING THE JOB TO CONCLUSION IN
SUCH A SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.
♪
>> NOW THE CATWALK WAS NO LONGER
NECESSARY SO STEINMAN
REPURPOSED.
>> ONCE THE CABLES WERE SPUN
FROM OF THE WIRES USED TO
SUPPORT THE CATWALK WERE TAKEN
BACK AND REUSED AS SUSPENDER
ROBES.
>> SUSPENDER CABLES GO DOWN AND
ARE CONNECTED TO THE BRIDGE DECK
AND THAT’S WHAT HOLDS THAT UP.
♪
>> THEY HUNG STEEL SUSPENDER
ROBES TO SUPPORT THE WORLD WAY.
>> THEY LAID THE ROADWAY AND 89
SECTIONS HELD UP BY TRANSFERS.
>> THE PANELS WERE SPECIFICALLY
DESIGNED FOR RAPID DEPLOYMENT. >> THEY WERE PREFABRICATED
>> THEY WERE PREFABRICATED
DELIVERED TO THE BRIDGE ON
MASSIVE BARGES.
ONCE SUSPENDED, PRECISELY IN
PLACE THEY HAD TO BE FILLED WITH
CONCRETE, ONE SECTION AT A TIME.
>> INSTEAD OF HAVING TO HAVE ONE
FORM FOR THE CONCRETE IN, IT WAS
A STEEL PLATE PART OF YOUR
STRUCTURE.
>> THE UPDRAFTS WERE BRUTAL.
THE CONCRETE ROADWAY WOULD ACT
LIKE A SALE IN A HARROWING IMAGE
FROM A SUSPENSION BRIDGE AT WEST
WAS SEARED INTO EVERYONE’S MIND.
>> THE BRIDGE SO BADLY IN THEIR