NEWS - Spring at the Mackinac Bridge is the beginning of special events season

Michigan DOT sent this bulletin at 04/20/2017 08:29 AM EDT
 
Mackinac Bridge Authority

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                   THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017

 

CONTACT: Bob Sweeney, Mackinac Bridge Authority, 906-643-7600

 

Spring at the Mackinac Bridge is the beginning of special events season

 

April 20, 2017 -- Winter is barely in the rear-view mirror in the Straits of Mackinac, but special events season at the Mackinac Bridge is ready to begin.

               Friday, April 21, is the second annual Jeep the Mac event, a crossing of the bridge involving hundreds of Jeeps. Organized by the St. Ignace Events Committee, it's the first special event at the bridge each year.

               "People come to cross the Mackinac Bridge throughout the year, and spring begins our annual upswing in traffic," said Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) Executive Secretary Bob Sweeney. "Special events like Jeep the Mac not only bring a lot of customers to the bridge, but also a lot of publicity for the bridge and the surrounding communities."

               Other upcoming special events at the bridge include: the 14th Annual Memorial Bridge Run sponsored by the Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau on May 27, the 42nd Annual St. Ignace Car Show Weekend sponsored by the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau June 22-24, and the 4th Annual Mustang Stampede sponsored by the Mackinaw Area Visitors Bureau on July 15. The Mackinac Bridge special events schedule is at www.mackinacbridge.org/events/event-schedule/.

               Spring is also the start of the tourism season, when the bridge sees traffic volumes begin to pick up again as tourists head north to the Upper Peninsula to see the Soo Locks, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Michigan state parks. The lowest traffic levels are from December through March, and start rising in April, building through the summer to their annual peak in August.

               The start of special events and tourism season coincide with two changes in the straits: an improvement in weather and an increase in activity to see. At times it is foggy at the bridge in the spring, but the ice is gone and the winds that prompted high wind warnings and even some brief closures during the winter have abated. The Soo Locks have opened for the new shipping season, and anyone on the bridge can see freighters plying the Great Lakes alongside Mackinac Island ferries, fishermen, and pleasure boaters. The trees of both peninsulas and Mackinac Island are budding and leafing out, replacing the white backdrop of winter with a green panorama.

               This is also the time of year when MBA maintenance crews are sweeping up and washing off sand that’s accumulated on the causeway and bridge over the winter. Bridge steeplejacks are also out inspecting the bridge for any damage that may have occurred during the winter months. They're looking for areas of the steel grating that need some reinforcement, or bridge deck joints (there are more than 200 of them) that have been damaged by snowplows.

               This year also marks the beginning of a two-year project to completely strip the lead-based paint from the bridge's north tower and replace it with zinc-based paint. The $6.3 million project began earlier this month, and customers will notice lane closures and traffic shifts near the north tower. Delays should be minimal, as lane closures will be removed for holidays and peak traffic periods.  

               For more information on the bridge, a gallery of pictures from all four seasons, and links to the bridge webcams, visit www.mackinacbridge.org.

 

Photo captions:

1 – Cleaning the Mackinac – Each spring, Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) employees sweep and wash off sand and road salt that is tracked onto the bridge and accumulates in nooks and crannies each winter. (MBA photo)

2 – Jeep the Mac 2016  – Springtime marks the start of special events on the Mackinac Bridge each year. On April 22, 2016, more than 400 Jeeps crossed the bridge as part of the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau’s “Jeep the Mac” event. (St. Ignace Visitors Bureau photo)

3 – Mac Grating Replacement – Every year, MBA staff replace between six and 20 sections of steel grating that make up the driving surface of the inside lanes of the bridge. (MBA photo)

4 – Mackinac Bridge from Mackinaw City – Though at times the Straits of Mackinac are foggy in spring, weather conditions are general providing good views of the bridge this time of year. (MDOT photo)

5 – Mackinac Bridge from St. Ignace – In spring, traffic on the Mackinac Bridge begins to increase as tourists head north to the Upper Peninsula to see the Soo Locks, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore, and Michigan state parks. (MDOT photo)

6 – Mackinac Bridge with freighter – Once the ice is gone, people crossing the Mackinac Bridge can watch freighters as they pass beneath between Lake Michigan and Lake Huron. (MDOT photo)

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