A repaving project on the Mackinac Bridge will cause travel delays for another busy summer weekend.
ST. IGNACE, Mich. (WJRT) - Travelers between Michigan's two peninsulas will face travel delays over another busy summer weekend.
The northbound side of the Mackinac Bridge will remain closed until the middle of next week while contractors continue working on a delayed repaving project. That leaves only one lane of travel open in each direction this weekend.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority says the contractor, Zenith Tech, blamed poor weather conditions that prevent crews from paving in wet conditions for the latest delay.
Crews worked Monday and Thursday this weekend to complete most of paving on the north end of the bridge. They hope to work three more days this weekend and into next week to finish the south end.
The project to repave the north viaduct and both approach spans on the northbound side of the five-mile long bridge started March 25. It was supposed to be complete before Memorial Day weekend, but Zenith Tech missed the deadline.
The contractor blamed staffing shortages and additional patching work for the first delay. The Mackinac Bridge Authority says they "strongly encouraged" the contractor work around the clock and over weekends to meet the deadline.
Only one lane of traffic is open in each direction on the bridge while the repaving continues. Lengthy traffic backups were reported crossing the bridge over the past two summer weekends.
A similar project on the southbound side of the bridge is scheduled to begin in March 2025 with a required completion date ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
