The Mackinac Bridge Authority will meet Friday, December 4, at the Mackinac Bridge Authority office on I-75 in St. Ignace, and is considering a joint meeting Thursday, December 3, with the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge Authority, which oversees management of the International Bridge in Sault Ste. Marie.

The planned joint meeting of the two bridge governing boards , the first of its kind, is tentatively planned for 1 p.m. Thursday, December 3, at Little Bear East Arena in St. Ignace. It is scheduled just after the Sault Ste. Marie International Bridge Authority's meeting Thursday morning.

A finance committee meeting for the Mackinac Bridge Authority will be at 9 a.m. Friday, in which committee members plan to discuss amendments to the 2009 budget, the status of assigning the state's Auditor General to do the authority's annual audit, and information about the ranges in traffic and revenue the bridge foresees for the upcoming year. An update on the state's budgetary and economic data and predictions will be presented by Chief Deputy Treasurer Mark Haas.

The main meeting is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Friday at Little Bear East Arena, where authority members plan to discuss the findings and recommendations of the finance committee, several ongoing and past bridge maintenance projects, the free toll day in November, possible federal stimulus funding for a painting project, will set a 2010 meeting schedule, and will discuss the status of the bridge deck study currently underway. This study is anticipated to be done in August 2010, and will report on the condition of the current bridge deck, make recommendations on a schedule of replacement, and will report estimated costs of the replacement and repair projects.

All Mackinac Bridge Authority meetings are open to the public and allow a portion of time for public comment.