34,000 step up for Mackinac Bridge Walk, officials say

About 34,000 people stepped up for the 2026 Mackinac Bridge Walk on Labor Day, officials said. The number is up from about 33,000 last year, the Mackinac Bridge Authority said. Turnout for the event has ranged from 21,000 to 35,000 since 2018, according to the authority, which operates and maintains the span known as the "Mighty Mac" and that connects Michigan's two peninsulas. During the event, the bridge closes at about 6:30 a.m. to all vehicle traffic and reopens at noon. The walk begins in St. Ignace at the north end of the Mackinac Bridge in the Upper Peninsula, and in Mackinaw City at the south end of the bridge in the Lower Peninsula. The average time it takes to walk the bridge is about two hours. No fee or registration is required to participate. The authority said the bridge walk has been held every year since 1958 except in 2020 when it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 26,372-foot-long Mackinac Bridge is the seventh-longest suspension bridge in the world by total suspended length, and the longest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. Construction of the bridge began on May 7, 1954, and it opened to traffic on Nov. 1, 1957. cramirez@detroitnews.com X: @CharlesERamirez This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: 34,000 step up for Mackinac Bridge Walk, officials say Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect Reuters_USATLocal_GANews This story was originally published September 7, 2026 at 1:56 PM.