LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) – The effort to bring back the infamous truck-eating bridge dubbed “Big Penny” is hitting a speed bump. This comes after the smile and eyes of the installation were defaced back in April.
While the eyes and smile are still a work in progress, as of last week, there’s footage to capture the bridge’s eating habits. The local group behind the efforts to build “Big Penny 2.0”, the Facebook group STUPID – Lansing, which is anonymous, says the cameras were installed specifically to document the successful trucks munched, although it may also enhance security for potential defacement. So far, there have been four trucks munched for this year alone, and a total of 110 since 2004.
“She has become an icon for the City of Lansing, and our whole mission is to make Lansing smile,” says STUPID – Lansing. “To bring a little bit of joy to the city that we love and call home.”
The project to restore the teeth and eyes was put on hold after the Canadian National Railroad, who owns and operates the bridge, reached out with safety concerns. The railroad says that if any 3-D structures, such as the steel and PVC teeth planned, are attached to the bridge, the company is likely to remove them and trespassing charges could be pursued.
However, STUPID – Lansing emphasizes that the railroad has expressed interest in seeing “Big Penny” smile again. Their alternative proposal involves painting the teeth instead and coordinating directly with the City of Lansing.
“We stand ready to make it happen as soon as we know what the accepted form of Big Penny will be. We have a plan and a majority of the materials already if we go with the 3D version of Penny that we had originally planned on. If we go with a painted version of the teeth then we have a very talented artist that has committed to working with us. Our goal is to make a Big Penny that will last for generations!” says STUPID Lansing in a message sent to WLNS…