Uniroyal Giant Tire, Roadside architectural structure in Allen Park, Michigan, US
The Uniroyal Giant Tire is a 24-meter wheel built from steel beams and fiberglass panels standing beside Interstate 94 in Allen Park, Michigan. The construction weighs around 11 metric tons and rises directly next to the eastbound lanes heading toward Detroit.
The structure originally served as a Ferris wheel at the 1964 New York World's Fair before being disassembled into 118 sections. After transport to Michigan, the wheel was rebuilt in 1966 at its current location beside the highway.
The name comes from the tire manufacturer that operated a plant directly across the highway and used this piece to promote its brand along one of the busiest routes in Michigan. Passing drivers still associate the wheel with the role the automotive trade played in shaping the region around Detroit.
The best view of the wheel is from Interstate 94 between Detroit Metropolitan Airport and downtown Detroit, especially near the exit for the Southfield Freeway. Because it stands right beside the highway, stopping is not necessary to see it clearly.
The interior of the wheel encloses a space of more than 3400 cubic meters, meaning a vehicle would need to stand around 60 meters tall to support this wheel as a working tire. When it served as a Ferris wheel at the fair, visitors could sit in gondolas and look out through the structure from the inside.
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