Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


The Mackinac Bridge was closed again due to falling ice Wednesday.

While the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) cannot predict when the bridge can be reopened, it says more closures seem likely due to the amount of ice that still remains on the bridge’s towers and cables.

This is the third closure of the bridge in three days following an accumulation of freezing rain that hit the bridge late last week, depositing several inches of ice in spots. The bridge was closed for falling ice from about 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. Monday, March 31; from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 1; and since 2:30 a.m. today.

Mackinac Bridge Director Kim Nowack said "Unlike high wind closures where weather forecasts can give us solid information on when winds are expected to diminish, guessing when ice will fall and stop falling is just a guess. Factors like wind, sunshine and rising temperatures may give us hints that falling ice may be imminent, but no clear timing. For the safety of all involved, we need to keep our system simple: when ice is falling from the towers and cables, we close the bridge until it stops."

Maintenance staff at the bridge have said the amount of ice that has formed is unprecedented, and the size of ice sheets, spears and chunks that are falling are dangerous to anyone out on the bridge deck during those times.

Nowack said "Given the amount of ice that remains on the cables and towers, any falling ice closures are likely to be lengthy, and could start and stop at any time. Local emergency and relief services are strained, many local businesses are closed, and there are still power outages in the Straits area, so we discourage travelers from coming here expecting to cross the bridge. Please don't travel here if it's not absolutely necessary."

Falling ice is a hazard for people even when they are inside their vehicles. Sheets of ice as large as garage doors fall from the flat surfaces of the bridge towers, ice spears that form on the suspender cables fall straight down toward the bridge deck, and chunks that have formed on upper cables fall hundreds of feet (the tower tops are more than 300 feet above the roadway). Some of those pieces that have survived the fall are as large as a loaf of bread, and windshields and roofs have been caved in on both MBA and private vehicles.

For updates on the Mackinac Bridge closures, check condition reports on their website at MackinacBridge.org, on X at @MackinacBridge, or by signing up for text alerts by texting "MacBridge" to 67283.

The MBA has posted a video message on X from Bridge Director Kim Nowack about the falling ice, along with some photos from the bridge. More videos of falling ice that prompted the current closure were also posted on X.

The bridge has closed roughly 30 times in the past 30 years, and the average closure duration is several hours. More frequently asked questions about falling ice and other topics are available on the MBA website.