Labor Day Traffic To Be Halted For Annual Mackinac Bridge Walk

MACKINAC CITY, MI—If you’re planning to travel in northern Michigan on Labor Day, possibly to take part in the annual Bridge Walk across the Mackinac Bridge, you’ll want to be prepared for traffic delays. The Michigan State Police and U.S. Department of Homeland Security close the bridge to public vehicle traffic from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Monday for the walk.

Northbound Interstate 75 will be closed at Exit 337, just south of Mackinaw City, and southbound I-75 and US Route 2 will be closed at Exit 344, at Straits State Park. Michigan State Police officials warn drivers that traffic will be restricted and congested north of Gaylord.

Each year, between 30,000 and 60,000 people come to the Mackinac Bridge for the Annual Bridge Walk, which has taken place since 1958, the year after the bridge opened to traffic. The event will begin at 6:40 a.m. with the start of the Governor's Council on Physical Fitness Jog, followed by a greeting from Gov. Rick Snyder at 6:55 a.m. Walkers will begin across the bridge at 7 a.m.

The walk begins in St. Ignace, at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge in the upper peninsula, and ends in Mackinaw City at the south end in the lower peninsula. Bus service is available for walkers before and after the walk to shuttle them back to their vehicles. Parking is available at designated lots on each end of the bridge.

For more information,visit the Mackinac Bridge Authority’s website.

Images by the Associated Press