Mackinac Bridge Walk

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The 2004 Mackinac Bridge Walk

The Mackinac Bridge Walk is an annual event held every Labor Day since 1958 in Michigan in which people may walk the length of the Mackinac Bridge. Walkers are traditionally led across by the governor of Michigan, currently Jennifer M. Granholm. In an average year, 50,000 to 65,000 people participate in the five-mile walk. This is more than the combined population of the two counties connected by the bridge.

The Labor Day bridge walk is the sole exception to the rule prohibiting pedestrians on the bridge. The northbound lanes on the bridge are reserved for pedestrians—although the walkers head south—with the southbound side carrying two-way vehicular traffic. Walkers begin on the St. Ignace side of the bridge in the Upper Peninsula and walk south to Mackinaw City in the Lower Peninsula. Upon reaching Mackinaw City, walkers are awarded a numbered "Certificate of Completion." School buses shuttle walkers back to their cars.

After 9:30 a.m. pedestrians are narrowed into just one of the northbound lanes so that the other may be opened to northbound vehicular traffic. Both southbound lanes are then given over to southbound traffic, which is heaviest on Labor Day. No one is allowed to start walking after 11:00 a.m.

[edit] History

The walk was started and took place in the early morning hours of Labor Day 1958. That first year only 68 people walked across the bridge.

In the early 1960s, the walk was less popular and often caused traffic jams. To raise acceptance of the event, organizers began having the governor kick off the walk, causing an increase in participation.

The population of walkers also increased some years since the walk has sometimes been used as a political event for gubernatorial or presidential elections.

[edit] Presidential campaign

During the 1992 election campaign, President George H.W. Bush led the bridge walk in an attempt to win over Michigan voters for his re-election. Participation in this bridge walk was estimated at 85,000 walkers, which is the Mackinac Bridge Walk record. In the end, Bush did not win the state's votes.