AASHTO Journal - Study Details Economic Benefits of Mackinac Bridge

A new study indicates that Michigan’s Mackinac Bridge – built in 1957 and known as the “Mighty Mac” or “Big Mac” – connecting the state’s Upper and Lower peninsulas contributes $193 million in direct, indirect, and induced spending to the state’s economy on an annual basis.

[Above photo by the Michigan DOT]

Commissioned by the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) and conducted by Public Sector Consultants, the study found that for every $1 in tolls paid at the bridge, $7.27 was generated in spending in Michigan. An economic impact of $161.6 million was concentrated in the Straits area counties of Mackinac, Emmet, and Cheboygan.

The study also examined the economic impact of the Mighty Mac’s Annual Bridge Walk, which, in 2024, hosted nearly 33,000 participants and stimulated $3 million in spending statewide, with $2.4 million spent in those neighboring counties. The event also generated $250,000 in state and local taxes used to support public safety, local infrastructure, schools, and other public services.

Other notable study findings include:

One-third of the roughly two million non-local visitors to the bridge came from outside of Michigan.
Nearly two-thirds of areas businesses said that the Annual Bridge Walk positively affected their businesses.
Nearly half of the survey respondents who participated in the walk said they stayed one or more nights locally before the event.
Participants in the Annual Bridge Walk who stayed overnight spent an average of $224.93 on lodging, food and beverages, shopping, transportation, and other recreation. Participants who walked the bridge as a day trip spent an average of $44.05.
MBA operational spending generates more than $100,000 per year in local taxes in the three-county area.

“We’ve always known that the operation of the Mackinac Bridge, as well as special events including the Annual Bridge Walk, have had a significant impact on the local communities and beyond,” said MBA Vice Chairman William Milliken in a statement. “We’re so pleased to see this study confirms and validates the positive impact it has for businesses and local governments.”