ST. IGNACE, Mich. — The American flag is flown from the north tower of the Mackinac Bridge only six days a year. Monday—Veterans Day—was one of those days.
The massive flag is 30 feet tall by 60 feet long, and before July 4 of this year, it was a challenge to properly hang it six times a year.
However, on the Fourth of July a new reel system was introduced. The flag is now stored in something similar to a rolled up window curtain and it is lowered with a remote control.
The entire system can be operated by one person. Before this, a team of about a dozen people would stop traffic, unroll the flag and hoist it beneath the tower.
It took the Mackinac Bridge Authority about two years to create the new reel system.
The American flag is displayed on Memorial Day, Flag Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Patriots Day and Veterans Day.
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