Mackinac Bridge repaving project faces delays

Jillian Fellows, The Petoskey News-Review
A view of the Mackinac Straits from the Mackinac Bridge.
A view of the Mackinac Straits from the Mackinac Bridge.

MACKINAW CITY — Road construction work on the Mackinac Bridge will take a little longer than originally planned, the Mackinac Bridge Authority reported on Thursday.

The first season of a two-season repaving project on the Mackinac Bridge’s north viaduct and approach truss spans was set to be completed by May 23, but is now expected to take until June 7.

The work will last through the busy Memorial Day weekend.

Project contractor Zenith Tech cited additional patching work and an inability to field full work crews as reasons for the delay.

"We have not only allowed, but strongly encouraged, the contractor to work around the clock and through weekends to get this project wrapped up ahead of the surge of traffic we expect for the holiday weekend," said Mackinac Bridge Authority Chief Engineer Cole Cavalieri in a press release. "We know that having lane closures on the bridge for Memorial Day travel will result in delays and backups, so we ask customers to be patient and consider crossing at off-peak times."

A view of traffic and construction on the Mackinac Bridge from Mackinaw City looking north on May 16, 2024.
A view of traffic and construction on the Mackinac Bridge from Mackinaw City looking north on May 16, 2024.

The project began on March 25, and has required that traffic be narrowed to one lane in each direction.

The Mackinac Bridge Authority urges drivers to consider crossing the bridge at off-peak times and to prepare for delays, as traffic backups are common during peak times — especially on weekends between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

Wide-load restrictions are also in place in both directions for any vehicles wider than 10 feet during construction. Wider loads will be allowed to cross once per day between 7-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and traffic will be stopped for brief periods for those crossings.

Work on the project will resume in March 2025 with repaving of the two southbound lanes. The overall project is scheduled to be completed, with all lanes reopened, by May 22, 2025.

For more information, visit MackinacBridge.org.

— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Mackinac Bridge repaving project faces delays

Advertisement