Latest news with #MacPass
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Opossum rescued from Mackinac Bridge after being spotted by driver
The Mackinac Bridge connects the upper and lower peninsulas of Michigan, carrying commuters, tourists and, on occasion, furry animals such as an opossum crossing the bridge on May 29, the Mackinac County Sheriff's office confirmed. The opossum wandered onto the bridge Thursday evening and was spotted by a passing motorist, the post on social media said. "Thanks to the Mackinac Bridge Authority (MBA) staff and Deputy Davis from the Mackinac County Sheriff's Department, he was safely relocated to the south end of the bridge," the post on Facebook reads. According to Terminix, an opossum, often confused with a possum, does not have a furry tail and is found in North America. The latter, also marsupials, have furry tails and are found in Australia. They are shorter and have less pointed noses than their counterparts. More: That time a reader painted a picture of an opossum | Opinion Possums and opossums do have similarities however including: They're nocturnal. They're arboreal, tree-dwelling creatures. They're omnivorous. According to a report from the Port Huron Times Herald, opossums have expanded north throughout the state since the 20th century, establishing a presence in the lower Upper Peninsula and more recently moving into Ontario. Current bridge conditions can be found on the Mackinac Bridge Authorities website. Additionally when traveling in the in the Mackinac Straits area, motorist can listen to 530 AM or 1610 AM for updates. Travelers can check the Mackinac Bridge Cam online for updates. The images from multiple cameras are configured to automatically update every 60 seconds. Cameras capture the administration building looking south, the dock in St. Ignace, looking south; Bridge View Park in St. Ignace, looking south; from Mackinaw City, looking north; and St. Ignace, along Interstate 75. Passenger car, van, motorcycle, station wagon, SUV, pickup, and school buses cost $2 per axle or $4 per vehicle, the Authority said. (A van is a two-axle, four-tire vehicle not primarily intended for carrying cargo or commercial goods.) Other vehicles are $5 per axle. Vehicles not meeting passenger vehicle characteristics include, but are not limited to, tractor-trailers, buses, motor homes and step or cube vans, the Authority said. All vehicles will be classified by the lead vehicle. Anything being towed will be charged the per axle rate of the lead vehicle with the exception of the motor home towing an auto; the towed auto will be charged at the auto rate. The Mackinac Bridge accepts cash, credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, or Google Pay. Frequent travelers can sign up for MacPass and obtain a transponder for their windshield. The Authority said 239,000 vehicles passed over the bridge in March 2024. In January 2025, 214,000 vehicles crossed the bridge. Bridge traffic in August 2024 topped 640,000 — the most vehicles since at least 2014. Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opossum rescued on Mackinac Bridge after being spotted by motorist
CBC
16-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Toll booths come down on Angus L. Macdonald Bridge
When the Angus L. Macdonald bridge reopens to traffic on Monday, there will be no tolls for the first time in its 70-year history. The Halifax bridge is closed this weekend for crews to remove the toll plaza and prepare the bridge for fare-free traffic. Tim Houston and his PC party campaigned in 2024 on a promise to remove tolls from the harbour bridges. More than 200,000 Nova Scotians have MacPass accounts — the system used to pay tolls through a transponder — and balances will be refunded in the coming weeks. Construction to remove the toll plaza on the MacKay Bridge will begin on Monday.
CBC
15-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
New era as toll booths come down on Angus L. Macdonald Bridge
When the Angus L. Macdonald bridge reopens to traffic on Monday, there will be no tolls for the first time in its 70-year history. The Halifax bridge is closed this weekend for crews to remove the toll plaza and prepare the bridge for fare-free traffic. Tim Houston and his PC party campaigned in 2024 on a promise to remove tolls from the harbour bridges. More than 200,000 Nova Scotians have MacPass accounts — the system used to pay tolls through a transponder — and balances will be refunded in the coming weeks. Construction to remove the toll plaza on the MacKay Bridge will begin on Monday.
CBC
06-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Tolls to be removed from Halifax bridges 2 weeks early
Social Sharing Tolls on Halifax's two harbour bridges are set to come off two weeks ahead of schedule. A news release from the provincial government says the Angus L. Macdonald and A. Murray MacKay bridges will stop collecting tolls as of 5 a.m. on March 17. "This is great news for commuters, and we're proud that we're delivering on our election promise of removing the tolls," Public Works Minister Fred Tilley said in the statement. "It's one less fee to pay when getting where you need to go, and more money back in the pockets of Nova Scotians." Removal of the toll plazas will begin this month, with work starting at the Macdonald Bridge first. The transition to free-flowing traffic also includes removing concrete barriers and electrical equipment, resurfacing roadways and reconfiguring lanes. Tolls have been in place since the opening of the Macdonald Bridge 70 years ago. Halifax Harbour Bridges brought in about $36 million in toll revenue in 2024. The province is spending $15 million this year for an operating grant to the bridge commission, which will become a new Crown corporation, and $86 million for capital repairs. The Nova Scotia government is also making a one-time addition of $300 million to the provincial debt to account for taking over responsibility for the bridges. More than 200,000 Nova Scotians have MacPass accounts — the system used to pay tolls through a transponder —and balances will be refunded in the coming weeks.
Yahoo
28-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Need to pay for parking at the Halifax airport? One option will end soon
MACPASS Plus will not longer be an option to pay for parking at Halifax Stanfield International Airport starting next week. The move is in preparation for the upcoming removal of tolls from the bridges spanning Halifax harbour. "This was just a decision that made sense," said Leah Batstone, a spokesperson for the airport authority. Drivers will need to take a ticket when entering the parking facilities and use other payment options in the terminal building and in the parkade. The change begins Monday. Drivers who parked using MACPASS Plus prior to March 3 will still be able to exit with MACPASS Plus and will be charged as usual. Batstone added that travellers should familiarize themselves with the other payment methods before coming to the airport. The province announced earlier this month that the tolls would be removed from the harbour bridges starting April 1. Halifax Harbour Bridges spokesperson Steve Proctor said toll booths will still be there in April, but dedicated MacPass and cash-only lanes will be redesigned to let traffic flow freely. MORE TOP STORIES
