March 10, 2016 — Intermittent nighttime closures of the Portage Lake Lift Bridge have been scheduled for March 15-18 as part of ongoing maintenance work. The closures will likely result in delays for motorists.
The contractor for the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will be testing new bridge components. These tests require a series of lifts of the bridge span and a full closure of the bridge to traffic.
Motorists should expect delays of up to 15 minutes between 7 and 11 p.m. and delays of up to 30 minutes between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m. during the testing period. The lower bridge deck will be closed to snowmobile traffic during these tests.
The $8.4 million project involves upgrades and preventive maintenance on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge between Houghton and Hancock. The project started in mid-December 2014 and is scheduled to be completed in mid-April.