Michigan's Portage Lake Lift Bridge work continues

Work on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge is moving into the next phase and will impact traffic in the Houghton-Hancock area through December, the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) said on Thursday. 

Traffic crews will concentrate on warning gates, deck sealing, barrier gates, operator house work and roadway-level steel repairs this fall. While the majority of the work will only require lane closures, there may be short-term, intermittent closures of the bridge, lasting for approximately 15 to 20 minutes.

Between Sept. 15 and Dec. 15, drivers will need to plan for single-lane closures. Certain closures involving one side of the bridge will happen between these dates. Two-way traffic will continue on the bridge’s open side.

The M-26 northbound ramp into Houghton city will be closed between January and March. Traffic will be  detoured through Houghton’s downtown section. The closure will begin as soon as the bridge structure construction starts.

Marine traffic under the bridge also will be impacted, with bridge lifts closed between Sept. 15 and Dec. 15. During this time, the bridge will only be open for pleasure craft on each hour.