ST. IGNACE, Mich. (WZMQ) – The end of a project on the Mackinac Bridge has been delayed due to weather conditions.
According to the Bridge Authority, cold, rainy weather early in the season has delayed the completion of this year’s work to repave portions of the Mackinac Bridge and replace a modular joint, which will result in extended lane closures.
While contractors have completed the replacement of half of the modular joint over Pier 34 at the start of the north viaduct span, as well as repair and repaving the southbound lanes of the north viaduct, work continues to replace the other half of the modular joint on the northbound lanes of the bridge. That work is currently expected to be completed by May 29, which is about a week later than originally anticipated.
“We worked with the contractor to ensure that the planned work could be completed prior to the Memorial Day weekend, but poor weather conditions delayed this year’s start of work and the modular joint installation took longer than expected,” said Bridge Director Kim Nowack. “Unfortunately, this means that there will be lane closures in place for the holiday weekend, but crews are working diligently to wrap the project up and get those lanes reopened.”
Weekend traffic peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., often resulting in traffic backups even when all toll lanes are open. Drivers are advised to consider crossing at off-peak times or prepare for delays.
“While Memorial Day weekend typically marks the seasonal increase in traffic volumes on the bridge, we fortunately did not see backups during last year’s work, and traffic flowed smoothly,” Nowack said. “We hope that will be the case this holiday weekend.”
To ensure the work is completed prior to the seasonal rise in traffic volumes on the bridge, the scope of work for this season was reduced. Deck repairs and repaving of the remaining sections of the southbound side of the bridge will be scheduled at a later date as a separate project.
Last year, the northbound side of the bridge was repaired and repaved. While scheduled for completion prior to Memorial Day 2024, work and lane closures extended into mid-June.
