Mighty Mac v Vessel? Mighty Mac Likely Wins

The Mackinac Bridge (Mighty Mac) is at a low risk of collapse if hit by a vessel, a new report from the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) found.

Mackinac Bridge Director Kim Nowack presented the collision study to the Mackinac Bridge Authority during ameeting today. The study looked at 16 bridges that could be at risk of collapse if hit by a large ocean-going vessel.

The Mackinac Bridge

“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,” Nowack said.

The NTSB sent a request to 30 owners of 68 bridges across 19 states to conduct a vulnerability assessment of bridge collapse from being hit by a ship after the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore was hit and collapsed in March 2024.

The bridges were analyzed using the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Guide Specifications and Commentary for Vessel Collision Design of Highway Bridges. The 244-page guide was first released in 1991 and updated in 2010.

It found the Mackinac Bridge met the reliability criteria by a wide margin. The guidelines found that the Francis Scott Key Bridge was 30 times above the acceptable risk for critical or essential bridges.

“We hope this gives greater assurance to everyone who crosses the bridge that there is very little danger of such a tragedy here,” Nowack said.