(WWJ) The massive bridge that connects Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas is back open after a record-long closure.
The Mackinac Bridge shut down due to hazardous ice conditions on Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1. The bridge reopened for a time Tuesday evening, but then closed again after winds in the Straits overnight began shaking the suspended cables, knocking ice loose and prompting another, longer closure.
When the bridge reopened the morning of Thursday, April 3, officials said:
"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."
(On Thursday, certain high-profile vehicles required a wind escort to cross rhe bridge. CLICK HERE to check for status updates).
The recap: The closure Monday, March 31, lasted 1 hour 46 minutes, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:16 p.m. The closure Tuesday, April 1, lasted 10 hours 23 minutes, from 8:40 a.m. to 7:03 p.m. The last closure lasted 30 hours 4 minutes, from 2:33 a.m. Wednesday, April 2, to 8:35 a.m. Thursday April 3. Total combined 42 hours, 13 minutes.
In a message posted to social media, Bridge Director Kim Nowack said "this is some of the worst ice we've ever seen," noting that the chunks of ice "are extremely dangerous" when falling from the bridge heights.
When the bridge reopened for a time on Monday, falling ice from cables and towers remained a concern. The Authority asked everyone using the bridge to reduce speeds to 20 mph max, stay alert, and proceed with caution.
The Mackinac Bridge, also known as the "Mighty Mac," is a suspension bridge connecting the Upper and Lower peninsulas of Michigan, spanning the Straits of Mackinac and is the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere.
Conditions on the bridge are infamous for changing in an instant. Here's an FAQ provided by the MBA regarding these ice closures.
Current conditions are always posted at https://www.mackinacbridge.org.
This all comes after a wave of thunderstorms and high winds added to the ice that hit Northern Michigan over the weekend, leaving more than 230,000 homes and businesses without power statewide.
Consumers Energy said they had over 600 crews in the field, with a majority of Northern Michigan's restoration completed Tuesday, and the hardest-hit areas addressed on Wednesday.
If you have plans to head Up North, call the place you're headed to first — if you can get through. There are continued problems with the phones in spots, and — with the power out to some hotels and casinos — many popular travel destinations were closed.