Overbidding for Lift Bridge Rehab Project

The much-talked-about Portage Lift Bridge rehab project scheduled for this winter has hit a snag. Dan Weingarten at the Michigan Department of Transportation Superior Region Office in Ishpeming confirms that bids on the project came in substantially over MDOT’s cost estimates. Bids were opened on Friday. The State Transportation Commission is scheduled to review them on December 4th. The Commission could accept a bid, ask for re-bids, or modify the project to keep it within the original five-and-a-half million dollar budget. The project is scheduled to begin in mid-December. Re-bids or changes could delay that.

The project is expected to perform upgrades and major preventive maintenance work on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. The $5.5 million project includes lift cable replacement, balance chain maintenance, electrical and mechanical upgrades, security system improvements, spot painting and new barrier gates. The project is scheduled to begin next month and be completed in mid-April 2016.