A bill unanimously passed in the state Senate this week that would make the Mackinac Bridge a "key facility" in Michigan. With this designation, any trespassers on the birdge would be subject to a felony as well as either a $2,500 fine or up to four years in prison. The Mackinac Bridge Authority has been advocating for this legislation since 2022.
State Sen. John Damoose (R-Harbor Springs) was the bill's sponsor. He appeared on the Michigan Department of Transportation's "Talking Michigan Transportation" podcast to discuss the bill.
"The prosecutors didn't have the tools to prosecute people for who were trespassing on that bridge and potentially causing great harm to it, because somehow it wasn't listed as one of our state's pieces of key infrastructure," Damoose said on the podcast. "That's what this bill does. It gives the same protection as other important things like pipelines, utility lines, and wastewater treatment."
Trespassing on the bridge is considered to be any activity taking place on parts of the bridge not meant for consumer use, like the cables or underneath.
"There was a real high profile trespasser who snuck out of the bridge up to the top, along the cables, in early morning hours for a big Internet stunt. He posted these pictures all over the world," said Damoose. "I mean, Can you imagine if that guy was up there and fell off of those and landed on a car with a family traveling across the bridge? This is an extremely big safety concern.
The bill now moves on to the state House of Representatives.
