Annual Inspections for the Portage Lake Lift Bridge Begin Next Monday

The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) will need advanced notice from evening boat traffic, while crews inspect the bridge next week. Starting next Monday MDOT will begin performing inspections on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge. MDOT expects inspections will last until Tuesday, May 23^rd. For work to take place, the U.S. Coast guard has allowed a temporary deviation in the operation schedule. From 8 pm to midnight, and again from 4 am to 7 am, starting May 15^th, all boat traffic will need to provide a 30 minute notice for a bridge lift. From midnight to 4am all boat traffic will need a two hour notice for a lift. While inspections take place the bridge will be placed at a fully lowered position. MDOT crews will partly inspect the bridge from a pontoon boat, moored bellowed the bridge, which will move to accommodate other vessels. On May 22^nd and 23^rd, crews will shutdown the outside northbound and southbound lanes, to facilitate street level inspections. These are routine annual inspections conducted by MDOT to ensure structural integrity. And are used to identify future maintenance priorities, and ensures operational safety.