The web Browser you are currently using is unsupported, and some features of this site may not work as intended. Please update to a modern browser such as Chrome, Firefox or Edge to experience all features Michigan.gov has to offer.
G. Mennen Williams
1911-1988
Construction of Michigan's famed Mackinac Bridge was a crowning achievement of the G. Mennen Williams administration during his six terms as governor (1949-1960). Starting with a campaign pledge in 1948, he led in building the legislative, financial and citizen support that culminated November 1, 1957, with the opening of the five-mile-long bridge that links the two peninsulas of Michigan. As governor, he was a strong supporter of the state's highway programs, pushing early in his administration for construction of a freeway network connecting population centers. He was an enthusiastic backer of bonding programs that enabled the state to borrow against future revenues and, starting in 1957, to become a national leader in building the interstate freeway system.
Michigan Transportation Hall of Honor, 1998