Mackinac Bridge Authority

Walk halfway and make the U-turn? Walk all the way across and arrange a ride? Start early and walk the bridge twice? With a week to go until the 2019 Mackinac Bridge Walk, there’s still plenty of time to plan your participation in this annual tradition.

As in 2018, the walk will again start in both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City with three options for walkers. A video posted on the MBA website at www.MackinacBridge.org/Walk explains the bridge walk schedule and the choices people will have whether they start from the north or south ends of the bridge.

“We heard from many people last year that the new options worked well and that the walk was very enjoyable without vehicles on the bridge,” said Mackinac Bridge Authority Executive Secretary Kim Nowack. “Whether you’ve walked the bridge before or not, Labor Day 2019 will be a great day to participate in this 62-year tradition.”

Walkers have three main options, outlined in the video:

• Start from either end of the bridge and walk toward the center, turn around at the midpoint and return to the city they started from, where their transportation is located. 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.
• Walk the entire length of the bridge starting from either end. Those who choose this option must reach the midpoint before 10 a.m. or they will be turned back. Anyone who walks the entire bridge must arrange their own transportation back to the side they started once the bridge reopens to public traffic at noon.
• Cross the bridge, starting from either end, and then turn around and walk back to the side they started from. In this option, 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.

Because walkers can start from either end of the bridge when they arrive, there will be no buses transporting participants across the bridge.

The bridge will again be closed to public traffic during the 2019 walk from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Labor Day, Sept. 2, based on recommendations from the Michigan State Police and U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Emergency vehicles will still be permitted to cross the bridge, but no public vehicles until the walk concludes and participants are off the bridge.

People who are interested in receiving text messages about bridge closures, including closure information for the annual bridge walk, can sign up for Mackinac County 911’s RAVE Alert System updates.

There is no cost to receive these updates, aside from any texting fees from the participant’s mobile coverage plan. To opt into this text alert system:

1. Text “MacBridge” to 67283.
2. Users will receive this reply, verifying participation in the text alerting system:

“Welcome to Mac Bridge. Reply STOP MacBridge to Cancel. MSG & Data Rates May Apply MSG Frequency Varies.”

3. A second reply will follow: “Welcome to the Mackinac Bridge Text Alerting System. TO OPT OUT of this alerting system reply STOP MacBridge.”