There is no structural damage to the Mackinac Bridge after a crane being towed on a barge hit the bridge's main span earlier this month.
The damage occurred May 7, when the barge passed under the bridge over the Straits of Mackinac.
Inspectors say the main damage is scraped steel and chipped paint, and the bridge is safe to drive on.
James Lake is a Mackinac Bridge Authority spokesperson.
"Our engineering staff and maintenance staff, who are very familiar with the bridge, have inspected it multiple times and they are confident in its safety," Lake said.
Lake says Memorial Day traffic will not be affected by the maintenance, but travelers should expect holiday traffic.
Bridge staff plan to delay some maintenance to ensure all bridge lanes are open for the holiday.
"Our maintenance staff are going to be pulling all of our ongoing lane closures for maintenance work on the bridge ahead of the holiday weekend. So we should have all four lanes open," Lake said.
Lake says the bridge authority is working with the state Attorney General’s Office to pursue damages against the shipping company that was transporting the crane.
Some lanes on the bridge have been closed for unrelated maintenance recently Bridge staff plan on temporarily stopping those closures to relieve holiday traffic.
The Bridge Authority plans to pursue legal damages against the shipping company that was transporting the crane. The authority says it wants that company to cover the cost of repairs.
