ST. IGNACE, MI — The 2026 Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day, Sept. 7, is just a week away, and final preparations are under way.
The bridge will again be closed to public traffic during the 2026 walk, from 6:30 a.m. to noon on Labor Day, Sept. 7, 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 will be allowed until the walk concludes and participants are off the bridge.
As with the last several events, because walkers can start from either end of the bridge when they arrive, there will be no buses transporting participants across the bridge. The MBA does not provide any shuttle service after the walk and cannot guarantee outside shuttle services will be offered.
The 2026 Annual Bridge Walk will start from both St. Ignace and Mackinaw City, which eliminates the need for busing and offers additional options for participants. For the safety and convenience of participants who start from the St. Ignace side, the walk will begin from Bridge View Park on the west side of I-75 rather than at the MBA administration building.
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:
- Starting from either end of the bridge and walking toward the center, turning around at the midpoint and returning to the city they started from, where their transportation is located. The turnaround points will move toward the ends of the bridge beginning at 10 a.m. but walkers can walk at least a portion of the bridge if they start by 11:30 a.m. Walkers must be on the side of the bridge they wish to return to before 10 a.m.
- Walking the entire length of the bridge starting from either end. Those who choose this option must reach the midpoint before 10 a.m. or they will be turned back. Anyone who walks the entire bridge must arrange their own transportation back to the side they started from once the bridge reopens to public traffic at noon.
- Crossing the bridge, starting from either end, and then turning around and walking back to the side they started from. In this option, walkers will need to cross the midpoint on their return trip by 10 a.m. or they will be turned back and need to find their own transportation back across the bridge after it reopens at noon.
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