GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Testing requested by the National Transportation Safety Board shows the Mackinac Bridge is extremely unlikely to collapse in the event of a theoretical boat crash.
The Mackinac Bridge Authority recently announced the findings. The NTSB demanded testing on all 68 federally owned bridges after the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge in 2024.
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“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.”
Testing was done to follow the guidelines of the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The analysis looked at the bridge’s design and structural capacity, along with the Straits of Mackinac and the size, type and frequency of vessels passing under the bridge…