• Wednesday-What'sUP May 20 - 03:24 pm

Greg Burk, recently crossed the Mackinac Bridge on his way to the U.P. and thought he'd file a travel report for those of you coming behind him, so you'll be aware of TWO possible bridge delays on the way north. First, when you're crossing over the Big Mac, the South-Bound lanes are closed until mid-June, or so. MDOT, the Bridge Authority and the Contractors making repairs, have one south bound lane, and one north bound lane running on the North Bound side of the bridge. Today's first two photos appear “strange” to folks that travel over the bridge, since you normally don’t have big trucks coming RIGHT at you in the next lane when crossing the bridge!

Greg also noted that there is a detour set up before you get to the next bridge on US 2, the Cut River Bridge. So be prepared if you're heading that way ( in both directions), you'll be side-stepping the bridge and taking the Cut River Road. On the map here below, the red dot shows where the Bridge is located and you can see the Cut River Road where it leaves US 2 shortly after Brevort and then connects back again, near Epoufette. I don't have any information on how long that detour will be in place, though.

Ah, Michigan, Land of Four Seasons: winter, winter, winter and road construction!

Awesome pictures this morning. Looking forward to crossing the Mighty Mac on June 5 as I head home to Lake Linden to do some good fishing. Hope the weather warms up and fishing good.


Tom Dessellier

LOL... Good 1 Theresa!!

I can't wait until July I get to cross that bridge for my well needed vacation!

Looks like Pasty Central is ready for a traffic-copter :)

The detour around Cut River Bridge is actually a very nice drive. It is rather curvy (nice motorcycle road) and does not take that long.

The Cut River detour has been in place since at least last October - I took it in both directions, rather late at night. Seemed pretty enough, but not quite a replacement for the brief but breathtaking view of things as you cross the Cut River on Hwy 2.

Anyone remember when there was no bridge across the Straits? I am dating myself, but the bridge was finished the same year I finished college -- 1958 --and you could always tell when the ferry had docked. If you were going to St. Ignace there was a long steady line of cars coming toward you that indicated the northbound ferry had docked. I can remember stories of deer hunters backed up all the way to Cheboygan waiting for a chance to get on the ferries. Resurfacing seems like a minor, minor hassle compared to that.

I'll be heading down that way after school is out. My son is visiting his dad and I am bringing Grandma home for the summer. I remember that detour last year at the cut river, it was not very long but a pretty road.

It dosen't matter what narrow path you follow to get to God's Country just as long as you are on the right path to get you there closer to Heaven.

My thoughts as well David H.!

I'll be heading that way in a couple of hours!

If it's the same detour at Cut River that I had last July/August, it's a nice ride and not long. Wish I could be there in the spring (sigh).

Mel, when I went home to Dickinson County in March for a funeral of a very dear friend, there was no detour at the Cut River bridge. My latest trip home on the 7th of this month the detour was back up for the Cut River bridge (You had to take the Cut River Road.). The Cut River road is indeed curvy; in the fall, it is a nice scenic drive tho with the fall colors.

Driving over the "Mighty Mac" was slower then usual, because you have to travel at the speed the semis are traveling-25 miles per hour. The good part of traveling at this speed-you have time to enjoy the beautiful scenery-especially going north and leaving the lower.

David, you are right, for us who grew up in the UP, the end of the path is the most important part of the trip. I know when I have to leave God's Country to return over the "Mighty Mac" it is harder and harder every time to leave HOME!

The Cut River Bridge is STILL closed? It is, indeed, a pleasant and short detour, but I'm anxious to travel across the new bridge. This bridge was one of those found faulty in the same manner as the one that collapsed in Minneapolis.

EEEEK! Glad they found out about the prob w the bridge! That'd be quite a drop....

You know, I was about to post about how it seemed like the just fixed Cut River Bridge a few years ago. Then I thought about it and realized that the time I was thinking about was in the early/mid 1990's. Someone stop the world, its spinning too darn fast!!!

Yes.....Robert's right....it SEEMS like it was just a few years ago when the Cut River Bridge was being worked on, but probably was in the 1990s somewhere. The same detour was in effect then; the Cut River Rd is actually the old US 2 dating back before the late 1940s when the "new" Cut River Br was built, which supposedly is the highest bridge in Michigan over anything not having to do with Great Lakes waterways.

Yes I recall this detour in the 1990's,a nice short curvy drive and I made it a few times and kept looking for the river that the bridge spans..couldnt find it tho as there was no bridge that we went over on the detour.

Hi
We were at Mackinaw City last weekend and noticed the slow traffic on the bridge; glad to know what was going on. I cannot use the term Big Mac without thinking of a certain sandwich...so I don't use that term. Nor Mighty, either; I just say the Mackinac Bridge or "the bridge". We can see it from our cabin outside of Cheboygan; if somebody says "The lights are on on the bridge", everybody in our family knows which bridge.

Eddyfitz...the river is there on one of the curves, but it is hard to spot...blink once and you will miss it. There is no bridge, just a guardrail and the river is more like a creek at that point.

Well, it looks like Mighty Mac will b in fine shape when I do the Bridge Walk this Labor Day (I'm planning on it, anyway).

So they're replacing the entire Cut River bridge?

They are just replacing the bridge deck. All of the steel of the existing Cut River Bridge will remain. I believe they are also repainting the steel, too.

Quoting myself from a few years back:

"A million-dollar bridge over a ten-cent creek."
"Creek" pronounced "crick," of course. ;-)

Keep us posted on the roadwork...we head to the U.P in July with our oldest granddaughter...time to introduce her to Grammaws Lake....Superior to everyone else. Thats all the grandkids have heard it called since they began to walk and talk and a promise to show them Grammaws Lake, the best place to be.

Will be crossing the bridge in 22 days. Spending a few days in St.Ignace. Also planning on walking the bridge this labor day.

Robert...You have so many positive and warm memories to think and talk about and that seems to make time travel so fast. That is a good thing. The older we get, the better thoughts, the faster time flies. :) (One way to look at it anyway).

Barbara Whiteside (Bobbeo60):
"Keep us posted on the roadwork."
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