TV6 Investigates: Bill that would classify Mackinac Bridge as key facility advances to Governor’s desk

ST. IGNACE, Mich. (WLUC) - Legislation that would make trespassing on the Mackinac Bridge a felony has advanced to the Governor’s desk.

Senate Bill 71 has been presented to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-Michigan) as of Tuesday morning. Introduced by Sen. John Damoose (R-37th State Senate District), the bill would classify the Mackinac Bridge as a key facility, making trespassing on the bridge punishable as a felony offense.

It’s a change Mackinac Bridge Director Kim Nowack says is needed to deter potential trespassers.

“It’s a security concern for somebody to trespass in areas that are not public of the bridge because we have things there that we don’t want people to interact with and because it’s dangerous for the person themselves,” Nowack said.

We first told you last June that the Mackinac Bridge Authority thought for years the bridge was a key facility, until a 2020 incident proved otherwise.

That year, an Ohio man illegally climbed the south tower. When the Bridge Authority took him to court, it was revealed his crime was only punishable as a misdemeanor.

“In this case, the person didn’t have any climbing safety devices,” Nowack said. “They could easily have fallen in the dark of night, and nobody would have known.”

This individual only took pictures but revealed the dangers someone with more nefarious intentions could pose.

Key facilities are currently defined as sites enclosed by physical barriers. If signed, this bill would name the bridge as a key facility.

Nowack says this designation will better reflect the serious nature of trespassing on the Mackinac Bridge.

“We look forward to it, we hope it will be a deterrent for anybody who’s thinking of doing this, that it will be a felony charge if they are caught trespassing on the Mackinac Bridge,” Nowack said.

The bill passed Michigan’s Senate in March of 2025 and the House in July of 2026. The Mackinac Bridge Authority expects Gov. Whitmer will sign the bill this fall.

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