Mackinac Bridge Road Construction: Expect Backups Memorial Day Weekend

MACKINAW CITY, MI — If you're planning to cross the Mackinac Bridge for Memorial Day weekend, expect backups due to an unfinished repaving project, according to the Mackinac Bridge Authority.

Crews were originally supposed to finish repaving the bridge's north viaduct and approach truss spans by May 23, officials said.

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, officials said.

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, officials said.

"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."