Falling Ice Archives | Page 2 of 2 | Mackinac Bridge Authority

Is there anything the Authority can do to speed the falling ice process so the bridge can reopen?

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

During past falling ice closures, maintenance staff has driven fully loaded plow trucks across the bridge to help shake ice loose. In very narrow circumstances, when the bulk of ice has formed on the underside of the main cables, steeplejacks have gone out onto the cables to knock ice loose. Often, however, surfaces… Read More

I heard the new paint the Authority is using is causing more ice to form on the bridge. Even if it isn’t, what about using icephobic paint to prevent ice formation?

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

It’s not the paint, we’ve been assured by our painting contractors and other experts. Icephobic paint is certainly something we can explore for future painting, but that type of paint is currently only in the research stages for the aviation industry. In 2020, the Authority completed a four-year, $12.8 million dol… Read More

The Authority claims that falling ice is dangerous, but I’ve been stopped for a closure and I can’t even see ice falling on the bridge deck. Is it really such a hazard for people crossing the bridge inside vehicles?

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

Falling ice is definitely dangerous and a hazard for people even when they are inside their vehicles. Sheets of ice as large as garage doors fall from the flat surfaces of the bridge towers, ice spears that form on the suspender cables fall straight down toward the bridge deck, and chunks that have formed on upper cable… Read More

Have there been any studies about how to prevent ice from forming on suspension bridges, or how to knock it off once it has formed?

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

A comprehensive review of the subject appeared in the January 2022 issue of Science Direct, “A review of ice and snow risk mitigation and control measures for bridge cables.” The review concluded: “Due to the rising incidence of icing events on bridges all around the world, a growing number of ice and snow mitigation… Read More

What does the Mackinac Bridge Authority do to prevent falling ice closures?

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

There’s really very little that can be done to prevent this type of closure. Like partial and full closures for high winds and blizzards, falling ice closures are the result of weather that is difficult to predict or prevent. Ice usually forms during freezing rain or mixed precipitation events on the upper main and su… Read More

How long does a typical falling ice closure last?

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

The shortest closure was 37 minutes on Nov. 29, 2001. The longest closure to date was 30 hours and 4 minutes in a closure that started April 2, 2025 and ended April 3, 2025. The average closure lasts about five hours and 41 minutes. Over the last 31 years, which is roughly 271,560 hours, the bridge has been closed 250 hours… Read More

How often does the Mackinac Bridge Authority close the bridge due to falling ice?

Posted on April 23rd, 2026

Since 1995 (as far back as we have records for partial and total closures), the Authority has closed the bridge 44 times for ice. The first noted closure was on Jan. 30, 1998, when the bridge was closed for two hours and 50 minutes. The most recent was April 6, 2026, when the bridge was closed for two hours and 17 minutes. Th… Read More