November 1, 1957, marked the beginning of the end for the car ferry business in the Straits as the first car crossed the Mackinac Bridge, officially ending the need for car ferries. After a 20-year battle to finalize plans and finances, construction of the bridge had begun on May 7, 1954. Over 34 years, the state highway car ferry service carried more than 12 million vehicles and 30 million passengers across the Straits, but the 30-minute ferry trip was replaced by a quick 10-minute drive. The number of motorists crossing nearly doubled by hunting season, with more than 10,000 vehicles in one day. The first mention of a bridge connecting Mackinaw City and St. Ignace came on July 1, 1888, following the opening of the Grand Hotel. The Mackinac Bridge Authority was established in 1934 to investigate the feasibility of a bridge and begin financing the work through revenue bonds. The Mackinac Bridge has a total length of five miles, its roadway rises 200 feet above water level at mid-span, and the bridge weighs more than 1 million tons.