ST. IGNACE, MICH. (WWJ) -- A 93-year-old man who was part of the Mackinac Bridge construction crew back in 1956 will now always have a part of the bridge with him.
Jack R. Thompson, of Alpena, received a piece of the Mighty Mac's original deck grating from the maintenance director of the senior living community he now lives in, Bill O'Neil.
"I can't explain what a wonderful feeling it is to have a piece of the actual bridge," Thompson said. "It brings back great memories."
The Michigan Department of Transportation said O'Neil took Thompson on a trip through those memories from 1956, when he worked as part of a crew that strung the 42,000 miles and 11,840 tons of cables that suspend the bridge.
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"I travel between the Upper and Lower Peninsula of Michigan every week and I often think about the men and women who built the Mackinac Bridge," O'Neil said. "I feel honored to be able to bring a piece of the bridge decking back for Jack as a reminder of his work and of the great friends he met on the bridge."
After working on the bridge, Thompson took a job in his hometown of Alpena. MDOT said the last time he crossed the bridge was in 1960.
Thompson said he cherishes this gift.
"It is really cool. I was just one man, and there were so many who worked to build the bridge," Thompson said. "It was a great experience, and I met a lot of great people."
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Small pieces of the original bridge grating -- created as part of an ongoing project to replace those as needed -- are on sale at the Mackinac Bridge Administration office in St. Ignace.
Grating pieces cost $20 each, and customers are limited to three pieces each. Pieces are roughly 5 inches by 11 inches and 5 inches by 8 inches; they may exhibit rusting and traces of lead paint. All pieces are sold "as-is." Purchasers must sign a liability disclaimers/hold harmless agreement. No online sales or reservations are available, and sales are limited to stock on hand.
Large pieces of used grating are available for auction at www.GovDeals.com as they become available.