St. Ignace, MI – For the third time in just three days, the Mackinac Bridge was closed Wednesday morning due to hazardous falling ice, prompting officials to warn drivers that more closures may occur throughout the week.
According to the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA), ice began falling from the bridge’s towers and cables around 2:30 a.m. Wednesday, forcing another shutdown. The previous closures occurred Monday from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m. and Tuesday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., all tied to the same system of freezing rain and rapid temperature changes.
MBA Bridge Director Kim Nowack said the amount of ice forming on the bridge is “unprecedented,” with spears and large chunks posing serious danger to anyone crossing or driving beneath. “When ice is falling from the towers and cables, we close the bridge until it stops,” Nowack explained.
Officials emphasized that unlike snow or wind, falling ice is difficult to predict. Factors like sun, wind, and rising temperatures can contribute, but there’s no clear timeline for when conditions will improve.
Local emergency services, along with MBA and state officials, are discouraging travel to the Straits area unless absolutely necessary. Some travelers were turned away mid-route on Tuesday after the bridge was shut down unexpectedly. Outages in nearby areas and business closures have further complicated the situation.
Falling ice has previously shattered vehicle windshields and caved in car roofs, the MBA reported. Some of the ice sheets, formed hundreds of feet above the road, are as large as loaves of bread.
The Mackinac Bridge has closed more than 30 times in the past 30 years due to falling ice, with each closure lasting several hours on average.
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