Designed by David B. Steinman, the Mackinac Bridge represented a new level of aerodynamic stability in suspension bridges for its time and was the first suspension bridge to incorporate specific design features to manage the forces imposed by winds. Construction of "Mighty Mac" took over three years in a demanding climate, and its completion made all-weather travel between Michigan's two regions possible. Including approaches, the five-mile bridge was the world's longest suspension bridge between cable anchorages, at 8,614 feet, at the time of its construction, and it opened to traffic on November 1, 1957.