ST. IGNACE, Mich. — Another reflection of coronavirus concerns appeared Thursday when it was announced that cash will no longer be accepted to pay tolls on the Mackinac Bridge beginning Saturday, Mar. 21. Drivers will only be able to pay using credit or debit card, a MacPass card, or paid windshield sticker.
The move eliminates the handling of cash between employees and drivers, noted Mackinac Bridge Authority Executive Director Kim Nowack in a release. It “is one more way we can help slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus,” she said.
The bridge authority has already suspended the service where drivers who do not want to driver over the bridge can have a bridge employee drive their vehicle instead. Other programs involving transporting passengers, snowmobiles, and bicycles have also been suspended.
As for how many drivers will be affected by the suspension of cash payments, it’s a lot. The authority says 64 percent of drivers pay with cash, 29 percent use MacPass cards or windshield stickers, and only 7 percent pay with credit or debit cards.
