A repaving project along the Mackinac Bridge will not be complete before Memorial Day, and drivers are encouraged to prepare for backups.
According to the Mackinac Bridge Authority, the repaving between the bridge's north viaduct and approach truss spans was scheduled to be completed by May 23.
However, due to additional patch work and an inability to field full crews, the contractor doesn't expect to complete the project until June 7 or reopen the bridge before Memorial Day.
Traffic will only have one lane open in each direction during construction, and weekend traffic peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., often resulting in backups, even with all toll lanes open.
"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 (MBA) Chief Engineer Cole Cavalieri. "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.
Wide-load restrictions are 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 and 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and traffic will be stopped for brief periods for those crossings.
Work will resume in late March 2025 with repaving the southbound lanes.
