Mackinac Bridge Authority

Spanning the Straits of Mackinac since 1957

The Mackinac Bridge Authority remembers former Chief Engineer Max Coburn

Posted on May 10th, 2019
The Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) is remembering former Chief Engineer Max Coburn, who died May 5 at the age of 84, and his legacy of stewardship at the bridge. Coburn was the chief engineer for the MBA from July 1984 through March 1992, overseeing maintenance, design and construction work on the bridge. Prior to th… Read More

Longtime Executive Secretary Sweeney to retire May 17

Posted on May 1st, 2019
While he grew up in St. Ignace seeing the Mackinac Bridge nearly every day, Bob Sweeney couldn’t have known that one day he would be responsible for the operation and maintenance of this modern marvel. And yet, as the executive secretary of the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA), that’s exactly what he… Read More

March Traffic Report

Posted on April 17th, 2019
Robert J. Sweeney, Executive Secretary of the MBA, reported today that 234,497 vehicles crossed the Mackinac Bridge during the month of March compared to 242,009 in 2018.
For the month of March, traffic is down 3.1% and fare revenue is down 5.1% compared to last year. The Mackinac Bridge Authority has scheduled a sub… Read More

With the north tower complete, Mackinac Bridge south tower repainting to begin

Posted on April 16th, 2019
Now that repainting of the Mackinac Bridge’s north tower is complete, a two-year project to do the same to the south tower is set to begin next week. Contractor Seaway Painting of Livonia, which completed the 2017-18 project to strip the north tower down to bare metal and repaint it, was awarded the latest low-b… Read More

February Traffic Report

Posted on March 17th, 2019
Robert J. Sweeney, Executive Secretary of the MBA, reported today that 179,681 vehicles crossed
the Mackinac Bridge during the month of February compared to 198,986 in 2018.
For the month of February, traffic is down 9.7% and fare revenue is down 13.7% compared to last
year.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority has schedu… Read More

Innovative sensor testbed expansion slated for Mighty Mac

Posted on March 5th, 2019
The first 20 prototype infrastructure sensors installed beginning in 2016 on the Mackinac Bridge, powered solely by vibrations from traffic, have proven their durability and performed as intended. Now researchers from Michigan State University (MSU) and Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) are ready to… Read More

January Traffic Report

Posted on February 13th, 2019
Robert J. Sweeney, Executive Secretary of the MBA, reported today that 190,994 vehicles crossed the Mackinac Bridge during the month of January compared to 189,319 in 2018. For the month of January, traffic is up 0.9% and fare revenue is down 3.5% compared to last year. The Mackinac Bridge Authority has scheduled a s… Read More