Lift Bridge Work Begins Today

Work is scheduled to begin today on repairs and improvements to the Houghton-Hancock Bridge. 

Over the next nine months, the Michigan Department of Transportation plans to replace the motors that lift the bridge deck, paint the interiors of the machine rooms in the bridge towers, and replace the finger joints that allow motorists to drive on to and off of the deck. Some structural steel will also be replaced, and some additional minor work will be completed. 

MDOT says four overnight lifts will close the bridge for about 90 minutes each in January, when the new motors are installed. Other than that, most traffic disruptions will be limited to single-lane closures.

The project will cost nearly $4 million dollars.