Mackinac Bridge repairs starting in March to close lanes, slow traffic for 2 months

A two-month repaving project on the Mackinac Bridge is expected to reduce traffic to one lane in each direction and lead to backups and delays, especially during the weekends.

Work on the Mighty Mac’s north viaduct and approach truss spans are set to start March 25 and be completed by May 23, ahead of mid- and late-summer, the Mackinac Bridge Authority warned.

"As with any construction in northern Michigan, the best weather unfortunately coincides with the highest traffic volumes," Cole Cavalier, the authority’s chief engineer, said Monday. "We’re glad we’ve been able to schedule this work to occur before traffic peaks for the summer to reduce delays for travelers."

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There also will be wide-load restrictions in both directions.

Motorists should consider crossing at off-peak times or prepare for delays, the authority said, adding that weekend traffic peaks between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., often resulting in traffic backups, even with all toll lanes open.

Traffic also will be stopped from 7-8 p.m., Monday through Thursday for vehicles wider than 10 feet to cross.

As a result of the construction, the St. Ignace Visitors Bureau has modified its annual Jeep the Mac event, cutting the bridge crossing. Instead, the Bureau has renamed the event, Jeep the Yoop, which is scheduled for May 10-12.

The bridge is set to undergo a "substantial amount of long-term preservation work" in the next several years, the authority said, to "ensure that the bridge continues to remain structurally sound and provide a safe crossing for everyone."

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Mackinac Bridge repairs expected to slow traffic for 2 months