Additional safety measures will reduce anchor-strike risk in the Straits of Mackinac

Trio of extra safeguards will be in place while Line 5 underground tunnel is built

As Enbridge’s Line 5 Straits of Mackinac underground tunnel project moves ahead, we’re taking extra precautions above the lakebed, as well.

Last week, Enbridge announced that we’re adding a trio of extra safeguards at the Straits to further reduce the risk of an anchor strike on our dual Line 5 pipelines while work continues on our $500-million tunnel project.

The three safety measures—the cost of which, like the tunnel, will be borne by Enbridge—were announced by President and Chief Executive Officer Al Monaco last week during a presentation to the Canada-United States Business Association (CUSBA) in Detroit.

The measures include:

• A communication and monitoring system, as previously committed, which identifies approaching shipping vessels and reminds them of the no-anchor zone in the Straits.
• High-resolution cameras, placed on either shore to the west of the Mackinac Bridge, that will monitor ship traffic around the clock and act as an early-warning and notification system.
• Two support vessels, which have been on the water since mid-October, that monitor Straits traffic and confirm ship anchors are stowed.

“The prime example of how seriously we take this crossing, and the environment, and the Great Lakes, is the Line 5 tunnel,” Mr. Monaco told a CUSBA audience. “Still, we continue to add more measures, to reduce risk further, until and while the tunnel is being built . . . again, no cost to Michigan taxpayers.”