The Gordie Howe International Bridge shares an interesting article & video on their ongoing Aesthetic Lighting Testing than 6,000 programmable, energy-efficient white LED fixtures have been installed across the bridge towers, stay cables, back span, piers, approach span and bridge deck. Each fixture is designed to last more than 100,000 hours with linear lights having the longest lifespan lasting up to 280,000 hours (10 to 30 years!).
I’d like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas & happy holiday season that brings you and those you love as much magic & love as possible. The two photos below are from Fishtown Preservation, and I encourage you to support them in their work preserving this iconic Michigan location if you can!
I’ve been waiting to post this photo since the moment John shared it exactly one year ago today! Head on over to the Michigan Nut Facebook to give him a like, check out his calendars as possible gifts, and for sure check out the Northern Lights & Night Skies gallery on his website to view & purchase this and other fantastic photos!
Chris shared a perfect photo for a roundup of recent Detroit news saying: “Both projects broke ground in 2020. The Hudson’s site is now Detroit’s second tallest building, while the Gordie Howe Bridge is the longest cable-stayed bridge in North America. Also lit up is the Ambassador Bridge which recently reached its 100 year anniversary.” (the Ambassador is in the foreground with the string of lights).
While 98% of the $5.7 billion project is complete, bridge officials say the remaining work is forcing the delay from the previously announced fall 2025 opening … The final phase focuses heavily on testing the bridge’s technological systems.
…A report from S&P Global Ratings indicated that contractors had missed previous deadlines for transferring border facilities to authorities, though bridge officials would not specifically comment on this.
Detroit has definitely been on the come up in recent years, but it is still notable that 13 years after a poll showed two-thirds of Detroiters felt the city was moving in the wrong direction, a new survey found a dramatic, 180-degree turnaround with 76% feeling the city is headed in the right direction with 11% disagreeing & 13% having no opinion. Among that 11% is Livonia resident & leader of the Detroit News editorial page Nolan Finley, who ruffled more than a few feathers when he suggested that Detroiters are deluded to express contentment.
Cathy shared this awesome shot of the Saginaw Water Works in the Absolute Michigan group on Flickr way back in December of 2020 which will give you an idea of how far behind I am! Have a very happy holiday – I will probably be posting regularly but maybe not! For sure I will have the annual roundup of the most popular pics of 2024 next week.
See lots more from Cathy on her Flickr including some stunning shots of frozen bubbles on geraniums!
On December 31st, I will begin my 20th year of doing Michigan-focused photo blog Michigan in Pictures!! I’m going to try some new things this year to keep things fresh & fun for Michigan in Pictures regulars including yours truly like featuring more of my photos from the present day & my surprisingly extensive archives. As with today’s entry, a lot of them will be from Detroit where I live.
My first “Farlane Friday” is the brand new building at the new Hudson’s building in downtown Detroit which I am honestly a big fan of. I wasn’t alone, because this photo blew up when I shared it in the Detroit Photography group on Facebook. Hudson’s was Detroit’s signature department store and the place where I – like many Detroiters – unquestionably got my first picture taken with Santa. I also spent more than one Saturday reading dinosaur books at the lunch counter while my Grandma shopped with her friends. You can head over to Hudson’s Detroit for lots more about this new addition to Detroit’s skyline & for sure check out this post about the history of Hudson’s on Michigan in Pictures.
I’ve been seeing photos from all across Michigan of communities lighting up for the holidays, and for my money Kalamazoo’s Bronson Park nailed it this year!
…two of the first 2021 images from the Suomi-NPP and NOAA-20 satellites when they flew over the U.S. overnight to acquire stunning VIIRS nighttime imagery with light from recently full moon (98% illumination). City lights shimmer in the wintry landscape while a large storm swirls in the Mississippi Valley. Including a zoom into the Great Lakes Region because there’s no place like home!
Indeed!! Head over to their Facebook page for more & congratulations for being a part of the most welcoming state from space on the planet!! ;)
I’ve featured this stunning photo before but had to bring it back for an encore! Head over to Jeff’s Flickr for more & definitely follow Jeff Caverly Photography on Facebook!
The International Bridge at Sault Ste. Marie is the only vehicular crossing between Ontario and Michigan within a 300-mile distance, connecting the sister cities of Sault Ste. Marie across the St. Mary’s River.
Michigan in Pictures 