MDOT Studying Preventing Ice On Mackinac Bridge

mackinacbridgeautismblue-3
mackinacbridgeautismblue-3

The Michigan Department of Transportation is looking into ways to prevent the falling ice chunks that have forced recent long closures of the Mackinac Bridge. Chief bridge engineer Matt Chenowith says the changing climate with it’s frequent freeze and thaw has been responsible for the falling ice. They’ve talked about heating the bridge’s towers – but he says they are so big, it would be very costly.

“There was discussion about running straight current through the towers,” says Chenowith. “That has its own issues because straight current can cause corrosion.”

Chenowith says falling ice has been an issue in recent years on bridges from Ohio, to New York, to Canada. The new Gordie Howe bridge is being fitted with differently shaped cables to prevent the formation of ice.