The Labor Day Mackinac Bridge Walk will have a new starting location on the St. Ignace side, the Mackinac Bridge Authority said this week.
According to the MBA, the walk from the St. Ignace side will now begin at Bridge View Park on the west side of I-75, instead of the MBA administration building.
Officials say that most participates already park at Bridge View Park and start the walk from that side, which will reduce the number of people crossing the highway before the event begins. Those who park on the east side of I-75 will now be guided across the road.
“Far more parking is available in Bridge View Park and there is also more room for gathering before the start of the event,” said MBA Bridge Director Kim Nowack. “Starting the walk from that side of I-75 will be more convenient and safer for most participants.”
The bridge walk will once again start from both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, and there will not be busing. Walkers have three options for the bridge walk.
- Starting from either end, walking to the center and turning around at the midpoint to the city they started from. The turnaround points will move toward the ends of the bridge beginning at 10 a.m., but walkers can walk at least a portion of the bridge if they start by 11:30 a.m. Walkers must be on the side of the bridge they wish to return to before 10 a.m.
- Walking the entire length of the bridge from either end, and arranging your own transportation back. Those who choose this option must reach the midpoint before 10 a.m. or they will be turned back
- Crossing the bridge from either end, then turning around and walking back across the whole bridge to the side they started on. That's a 10-mile round trip for participants. Walkers will need to cross the midpoint on their return trip by 10 a.m. or they will be turned back and need to find their own transportation back across the bridge after it reopens at noon.
The bridge will be closed to traffic from 6:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Labor Day.
There were 35,000 people who participated in the event last year, and it usually draws between 20,000 and 35,000 people.
