Portage Lake Lift Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Portage Lake Lift Bridge |
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| Coordinates | 47°07′26″N 88°34′29″W / 47.123768°N 88.574706°W |
| Carries |    US 41 / M-26 / LSCT |
| Crosses | Portage Waterway arm of Portage Lake |
| Locale | Hancock and Houghton, Michigan |
| Official name | Houghton–Hancock Bridge |
| Maintained by | MDOT |
| ID number | 3380 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Vertical-lift bridge |
| Total length | approx 500 feet (150 m) |
| Width | both decks: 4 lanes with no shoulders lower deck: single-track railroad was abandoned 1982. |
| Height | 180 ft (55 m) |
| Longest span | 250 ft (76 m) clearance |
| Clearance below | 4 ft (1.2 m) fully lowered 32–36 ft (9.8–11.0 m) raised to intermediate position About 100 ft (30 m) fully raised) |
| History | |
| Opened | 1959 |
| Statistics | |
| Daily traffic | >20,000 |
The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is a very important bridge in Michigan. It officially goes by the name Houghton–Hancock Bridge. This bridge connects the cities of Hancock and Houghton. It crosses Portage Lake, which is part of a larger waterway. This waterway cuts across the Keweenaw Peninsula. It even has a canal that connects to Lake Superior.
The bridge carries two major roads, US Highway 41 and M-26. It is the only land connection between the northern and southern parts of the Keweenaw Peninsula. People sometimes call the northern part "Copper Island."
This bridge is a special type called a lift bridge. Its middle section can move up and down. When it is fully lowered, there are only four feet of space above the water. But it can lift to create 100 feet of space. This allows tall boats to pass underneath safely.
The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is known for being the world's heaviest and widest double-decked lift bridge. It was built using over 35,000 tons of concrete and 7,000 tons of steel. This impressive structure replaced an older, narrower bridge.
Every year, Hancock and Houghton celebrate the bridge's opening with an event called Bridgefest. This festival honors how the bridge brought their two communities together.
How the Portage Lake Lift Bridge Was Built
The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is not the first bridge to stand in this spot. The very first bridge was made of wood. It was a swing bridge, which means it could swing open to let boats pass. This wooden bridge was built in 1875.
In 1895, a new steel swing bridge replaced the wooden one. This bridge was called the Portage Canal Swing Bridge. It faced some challenges over the years. In 1905, a ship called the Northern Wave crashed into it. This caused damage to the bridge's center section, which had to be replaced.
Another ship almost hit the bridge in 1920. Luckily, the ship dropped its anchor in time. The anchor got stuck on the lake bottom, stopping the ship.
The current Portage Lake Lift Bridge was built in 1959. It cost about $11 to $13 million to build. The Al Johnson Construction Company was the main builder. The American Bridge Company and Bethlehem Steel Company also helped.
How the Bridge Works
The bridge's design from 1959 was very clever. It had roadways on both levels. The lower deck even had tracks for trains. This design allowed the bridge to lift only partway for smaller boats. This way, cars could still cross without interruption. The bridge would only lift fully for very large ships. It would lower completely for trains.
Train service on the bridge ended in 1982. Because of this, the bridge no longer needs to go to its lowest position for trains. During the summer, when boats are active, it stays in a middle position. It only lowers for maintenance or repairs.
In the winter, when the lake freezes, the bridge is placed in its lowest position. This allows snowmobiles to use the lower deck.
Images for kids
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Frozen Keweenaw Waterway at night
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The Portage Lake Lift Bridge at night
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Looking north while crossing bridge
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Elevated to let boats pass underneath
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The Copper Country Limited crossing the Portage Lake Lift Bridge in 1967
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View from Houghton
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View showing lower deck looking toward Hancock
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