Drivers urged to reduce speed while crossing Mackinac Bridge due to ice falling
The Mackinac Bridge Authority is urging drivers to reduce their speed to 20 mph when crossing the bridge due to falling ice.
The authority says it is "monitoring the current conditions at various points along the structure. Additional steps will be implemented if conditions change."
The Mackinac Bridge was closed Tuesday because ice was falling off the suspension bridge, which connects both of Michigan's peninsulas via Interstate 75. Mackinaw City Police Department issued a notice to the public at 9 a.m. Tuesday, informing motorists of the conditions reported by the Mackinac Bridge Authority. A reopening time was not known.
The bridge also was closed for several hours on Monday because of ice.
A severe ice storm struck Northern Lower Michigan and parts of the Upper Peninsula Saturday, and power outages are expected to linger for another few days in some locations.
The bridge authority said a typical closure for falling ice lasts about five hours. Those who travel the bridge frequently or want to keep up with notifications can sign up for text alerts.
"No concerns with this weight/amount of ice on the bridge beyond falling ice hazard. No real way to speed the process up. Have driven maintenance trucks across in the past to try to shake it loose, but probably too dangerous right now," the bridge authority said in a social media post.
