Mackinac Bridge not at risk of collision collapse, report confirms

The Mackinac Bridge Authority last week reviewed a report evaluating the bridge’s vulnerability to collapse, commissioned in response to the 2024 collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore after the bridge was struck by a container ship.

According to the study, the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas, is below the national risk threshold for a bridge collapsing after a vessel collision.

“This report confirms what we’ve long believed to be true, that the risk of the Mackinac Bridge collapsing due to being struck by a vessel is extremely low,” Bridge Director Kim Nowack said in a statement. “We hope this gives greater assurance to everyone who crosses the bridge that there is very little danger of such a tragedy here.”

Following the Key Bridge collapse, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended that the owners of 68 bridges across 19 states conduct a vulnerability assessment to determine their risk of collapse if they were to be struck by a vessel. 

The bridge authority reviewed the results of its assessment on Wednesday, while the report was submitted to the National Transportation Safety Board earlier this year.