ST. IGNACE, Mich. - Boo: The end of summer is quickly approaching. Yay: The 2023 Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day, Sept. 4, is right around the corner.
"The end of summer in northern Michigan is always bittersweet, but also means that Labor Day and the Mackinac Bridge Walk is upon us," said Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) Bridge Director Kim Nowack. "Whether you’ve participated in the walk many years ago, joined us for the past few events, or never walked the bridge before, there’s still time to plan to walk the Mighty Mac in 2023."
Based on the success of the recent events, the MBA will again start the 2023 Bridge Walk from both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, which eliminates the need for busing and offers additional options for participants.
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. Most participants have said they are comfortable with the new arrangements and enjoy the variety of options for participation.
Walkers essentially have three main options, outlined in the video:
As in 2018-19 and 2021-22, 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 2023 walk, from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Labor Day, Sept. 4, 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, text "MacBridge" to 67283.
The bridge walk has been an annual event since 1958, with the exception of 2020 when the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2023 walk will be the 65th event. Between 20,000 and 30,000 people have participated in recent years; 26,000 participated in the 2022 event.
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