ST. IGNANCE, Mich. — The Mackinac Bridge set a dubious new record this week with the longest consecutive closure of the bridge in its history.
Shut down due to ice chunks falling from the towers and cables, no traffic crossed the straits for 30 hours, 4 minutes, according to the Mackinac Bridge Authority. The closure started Wednesday, April 2 at 2:33 a.m. and ran until 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, April 3.
The old record was 20 hours, 15 minutes.
No guarantees, but it's looking favorable that we won't need additional falling ice closures as most of the ice seems to have cleared through the night. Not a record that we were interested in setting, but this last closure was a new one: 30 hours. Previous was 20 hours, 15 min.
— The Mackinac Bridge (@mackinacbridge) April 3, 2025
The closure was the latest in a series of times the mighty mac had to be blocked to vehicles because of falling ice. From Monday to Thursday, the bridge was closed 3 times for a total of 42 hours, 13 minutes.
It was just one of several issues caused by a massive ice storm that left many people without power across the northern lower peninsula for days. The bridge authority says it was the worst ice conditions ever seen since the bridge was built in the 1950's.
Good news: the risk of falling ice appears to have passed and the bridge is back open.
If you are planning a trip across the straits you can check conditions on the Mackinac Bridge Authority's website.
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