In the wake of intense weekend ice storms, the Mackinac Bridge closed for part of Monday. It was still closed at this story's publication Tuesday evening, with bridge officials saying there's a risk of falling ice.
Mackinac Bridge authorities said recent storms have caused some of the worst icing they’ve ever seen.
On Monday evening, Bridge Director Kim Nowack posted a video to social media from the ice covered bridge.
“This ice is frozen now, but it’s going to come down soon," she said, gesturing to bridge cables coated in ice, "so we’ll be closing this bridge for this large amount of ice".
On Tuesday afternoon, Nowack reiterated the hazards of falling ice. She said the bridge shutdown is a public safety measure to protect commuters.
"This is the worst I've seen, it's the thickest I've seen," she said. "This ice is very clear and strong, and so it's quite scary to think of it coming crashing down from those very high places."
The Mackinac bridge spans Michigan counties which are currently in a declared state of emergency due to the weekend’s storms. Temperatures are expected to stay cold — near freezing — in the straits until Thursday.
Nowack said no one can say for sure when the bridge will reopen. She hopes for at least a temporary reopening Tuesday night after the sun sets, because temperatures will drop, and the ice could harden again.
Closure updates can be found on the Mackinac Bridge Authority website.
