in ac ▁Bridge ▁as ▁a ▁self - support ing ▁facility . ▁The ▁Mack in ac ▁Bridge ▁is ▁a ▁to ll ▁bridge , ▁with ▁the ▁to ll s ▁set ▁at ▁a ▁level ▁determined ▁by ▁the ▁authority ▁and ▁its ▁gover ning ▁board . ▁ ▁History ▁The ▁Mack in ac ▁Bridge ▁Author ity ▁was ▁created ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 0 ▁to ▁study ▁the ▁feas ibility ▁of ▁construct ing ▁a ▁susp ension ▁bridge ▁to ▁connect ▁Michigan ' s ▁Lower ▁Pen ins ula ▁with ▁its ▁Upper ▁Pen ins ula ▁The ▁M BA ▁was ▁emp ower ed ▁by ▁legisl ation ▁in ▁ 1 9 5 2 ▁" to ▁issue ▁re venue ▁b onds ▁' for ▁the ▁purpose ▁of ▁pay ing ▁for ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁a ▁bridge '   ". ▁The ▁authority ▁managed ▁the ▁bridge ' s ▁construction ▁from ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁until ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁and ▁has ▁over seen ▁the ▁operation ▁of ▁the ▁bridge ▁since ▁its ▁opening ▁on ▁November ▁ 1 , ▁ 1 9 5 7 , ▁although ▁the ▁authority ▁was ▁originally ▁scheduled ▁for ▁dissol ution ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁after ▁the ▁last ▁of ▁the ▁b onds ▁were ▁to ▁be ▁paid ▁in ▁full . ▁ ▁Over ▁the ▁course ▁of ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁Michigan ▁Department ▁of ▁Transport ation ▁( MD OT ) ▁Director ▁Gl oria ▁Jeff ▁made ▁moves ▁to ▁challenge ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁the ▁authority ▁against ▁previous ▁practices ▁claim ing ▁that ▁the ▁authority ▁is ▁not ▁an ▁independent ▁ag ency . ▁In