Mackinac Bridge reopened after temporary closure due to falling ice

MACKINAW CITY, Mich. – The Mackinac Bridge has reopened after a temporary closure to traffic due to accumulated ice falling.

Ice that formed on the bridge’s towers and cables loosened because of warmer temperatures and increased sun caused some of it to fall on the driving lanes.

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The Mackinac Bridge Authority closed the bridge as a safety precaution.

“At some points of the bridge, the ice is falling at heights of more than 300 feet, and we can’t risk having that ice fall on vehicles or their occupants,” MBA executive secretary Bob Sweeney said. “We expect the closure to last no more than a few hours, but it will really depend on how quickly the ice stops falling.”

The bridge has closed eight times in the past 20 years for falling ice. The duration of those closures ranged from 37 minutes to almost three hours.