MSU Professor Adding Sensors to the Mackinac Bridge

Here is a pretty sweet view of the Mackinac Bridge I bet you have never seen before.

The iconic 58 year-old suspension bridge is about to have sensors added to monitor stress on the old girl. You can click here to get all the details from the Lansing State Journal. Later this month, MSU prof Nizar Lajnef will implement the plan he has been working on for seven years.

A bridge is supposed to last around 50-70 years. "We don't have to wait until it's broken and then try to fix it," said Lajnef, who teaches environmental and civil engineering at Michigan State University. Nearly 4 million people crossed the 3rd longest suspension bridge in the world last year.

Lajnef's team created a sensor that charges itself from the energy of movement across the bridge. The sensors transmit data about the structure's response to traffic and could possibly prevent a disaster. September 14 the first six sensors go into place.