Repairs are scheduled for Oct. 19-21 on the bridge between Houghton and Hancock. Northbound M-26/US-41 traffic will be reduced to one lane until about 3 p.m. each day.
MDOT says damage from high-load vehicle strikes is non-structural. The affected bridge carries M-26/US-41 across the Portage Canal between Houghton and Hancock.
The Michigan Department of Transportation announced the work on Oct. 12. Its MDOT announcement schedules repairs from Monday through Wednesday, Oct. 19-21.
Northbound traffic will be limited to one lane until approximately 3 p.m. each day. Drivers should build in extra time and follow posted traffic controls while crews work.
The repairs are separate from major infrastructure work planned for the lift span. Keweenaw Report says MDOT plans to share more details about that larger project in 2027. The current work addresses non-structural damage from high-load strikes.
MDOT has yet to disclose the repair cost or provide technical details about the damaged areas. The agency has identified the northbound lane closures as the traffic restriction for the three-day work period.
A separate MDOT plan calls for a 2027 test of a per-mile road charge, covered in this road-funding report. The Portage Lake announcement does not specify any connection between the repair schedule and that funding pilot.
