(
Bridge Hunter,
Historic Bridges,
Satellite,
Streetview,
Google Photo)
 |
| Wikipedia, put in the Public Domain by Justin Murawski |
The double-deck span can support road traffic on both levels. The lower deck also used to have tracks to support the railroads that originally built it ---
Copper Range (
1906 and
1920 maps) and
Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railway. In 1961 it became part of Soo Line, which became Wisconsin Central in 1987. But railroad traffic stopped in 1982. Looking at a railroad map, there used to be a lot of routes and mining shafts on the peninsula. ALL of the routes are now abandoned. By the time of the abandonments, all the routes were owned by SOO (Minneapolis, St Paul & Sault Ste Marie)
Below shows the span raised high enough to pass a boat.
Below is an older photo when the tracks were still intact showing the span lowered to allow a train to cross.
 |
Marty Bernard posted this and three other photos |
 |
Rudy Maki posted
Robert C. Stanley westbound at the Portage Lake Lift Bridge while the Soo Line waits to cross. Nov. 2, 1979. |
.jpg) |
Mark Andersen posted
Soo Line 404 is crossing the lift bridge into Houghton in this Neil Knopf photo shot in September 1977. |
 |
Rudy Maki posted
Clyde S. VanEnkevort westbound at the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Dec. 2, 2021.
Rich Tulikangas: That's so awesome to see a non-salt boat transiting Portage. A rare treat! And on the same day that the Hollyhock was removing the channel bouys.
[Comments on other posts indicate that this ship took the canal because the waves were high on the lake. While the span was up, the Hollyhock also went through the bridge. Judging from the comments, that is also rare when one of them is a big boat.]
[Unfortunately, these videos have a profile format.]
A 2:42 video of the Clyde VanEnkevort and Erie Trader going through
A 1:05 video of the Hollyhock going through
Photos and 2 videos from the boom anchor. [A comment on the second video indicates that this was the largest vessel that has used the canal.] |
 |
Rudy Maki posted
William J. Filbert westbound at the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Oct. 31, 1966. |
 |
Rudy Maki posted
Eugene W. Pargny westbound at the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Oct. 25. 1973.
James Torgeson shared
A US Steel laker meets a US Steel-built bridge! |
 |
Jeff Dennis posted
State of Michigan at the Portage lift bridge, September 29, 2021 |
 |
Brendon Baillod posted
Here's a nice, early divided back postcard of the old Portage Lake swing bridge between Houghton and Hancock around 1910 or so. It shows an interesting freighter passing upbound, probably for Duluth from the lower lakes. Hancock, Michigan can be seen in the background and the center span of the bridge is shown in a rare open view. An early streetcar can be seen waiting on the south span of the bridge. Wondering if anyone can ID the freighter. She has a rather unique deck house configuration that may allow for an ID. It is also unusual to see side cargo ports and masts on a freighter of this size at this late a date. |
 |
William Lafferty commented on Brendon's post
That doghouse so far forward makes me think it is the Troy. I can't think of another like that. Wyandotte-built with no sisters, I think. |
 |
Rudy Maki posted
D.M. Clemson westbound at Portage Lake Lift Bridge, Sept. 23, 1972. |
Roger Puta's photo above shows the wye built on the river. According to a comment about
a bridge in Oil City, PA, only two exist in the world. But the comments identified a few more in the US alone.
 |
Joe Granger commented on a share
There is also one between Houghton and Hancock, Michigan, a double decker bridge at that...I did not take this picture FTR |
 |
Brendon Baillod photo
The modern Portage Lake lift bridge, from a post card in my collection dated 1960.
Ric Mixter: love this shot- so cool we were just standing on that approachway!
Patches Croteau shared
Dennis Eyler: The nearest tracks now are in Baraga, 25 miles away. |
 |
Clyde Hendrickson posted
Soo Line crossing lift bridge between Hancock and Houghton Michigan. Also used for US-41 which ends in Miami FL. |
 |
Clyde commented on his post
Another view of bridge. |
 |
Keweenaw Snowmobile Club posted
The gateway to the Keweenaw is now OPEN! The mat has been laid on the Portage Lake Lift Bridge! We have some more work to do on the approach from the City of Houghton side tomorrow morning, so please avoid the area from 8 am to Noon tomorrow Jan 16th as we will be finishing things up! Thank you, The KSC Board of Directors |
 |
Keweenaw Snowmobile Club posted
The Portage Lake Lift Bridge is COMPLETE and OPEN! Huge THANK YOU to City of Houghton for hauling snow for us for TWO DAYS to get this done! Thanks, The KSC Board of Directors |
The original bridge was a wooden swing bridge completed in 1875. This was replaced by a steel swing bridge in 1901. In 1959 the swing bridge was replaced by this bridge. It has a 100' clearance when fully raised. [
Wikipedia] When built, it was the heaviest lift bridge constructed. [
Posting]
A video of it being raised for a ferry. "
It's hard to catch the bridge in action anymore but I caught it last fall when the twice a week ferry to Isle Royale left." (
source)
These screenshots below are from a
video of the construction of the lift bridge that replaced a swing bridge that had just 5-feet of clearance and took a long time to open and close. So traffic backups through the two towns were common. The bridge has two decks. Originally the upper deck of the approaches carried vehicles and the lower deck carried railroads. Normally, the lower deck of the lift span is aligned with the vehicle deck of the approach spans to provide a 32-foot clearance that allows most pleasure craft and fishing boats to pass without stopping traffic as depicted by the first screenshot. The second screenshot shows the lift span lowered so that both vehicle and railroad traffic can cross.
The full height provides a clearance of 100 feet. This
video of the bridge going up and down is made from three perspectives: from a boat, from the shore, and from a pedestrian crossing.
Looking at a railroad map, there used to be a lot of routes and mining shafts on the peninsula. ALL of the routes are now abandoned. By the time of the abandonments, all the routes were owned by SOO (Minneapolis, St Paul & Sault Ste Marie)
Sarter Marine Towing
posted four photos with the comment: "
Hancock."
 |
| 1 |
 |
2
|
 |
3
|
 |
| 4 |
 |
Rich Smith posted
Highway and RR lift bridge. |
 |
Rudy Maki posted
Clifford F. Hood coming into the Copper Range dock in Houghton to wait for weather, Dec. 3, 1969.
Dale Pohto: Arguably, the most handsome of crane ships... |
 |
Jeff Dennis posted
Ocean Navigator at the Portage Lake Lift Bridge, June 10, 2022 |
 |
Rich Tulikangas commented on Rudy's post
The Hood at the Van Orden dock 11/27/1967.
[In another comment, Rich explains that the dock was just to the left of Rudy's pic.] |
 |
Brendon Baillod posted
Here's another rare, early Keweenaw view for my Copper Country friends. This uncolored, undivided-back postcard dates from 1905 and shows the old Portage Lake Ship Canal entrance at the present-day North Entry. The card gives a nice view of the rarely seen west pierhead light with its elevated walkway. The west pier light was removed during the 1920s, as the enclosing breakwall structure completed in 1902 made it obsolete. The present-day art-deco style light was added to the east breakwall in 1950. The old east pier is also shown. It was a popular disembarkation point for excursionists going to nearby, present-day McClain State Park. Most interesting is the steamer, the SS City of Traverse, shown entering the canal from the west. She was a big (215 ft.) and popular passenger steamer that ran from Chicago to Lake Superior ports during much of the 1890s and early 1900s under the Graham & Morton Transportation Company. Shortly after this photo was made, she was reportedly sold to a Chicago gambling syndicate for use as floating poolroom offshore from Chicago with wireless to transmit horse racing returns. She was dismantled at St. Joseph, Michigan in 1912 where her hull was used as a floating dry dock. For more about this interesting steamer and her career as a gambling house, see: Brendon Baillod shared |
 |
17:16 video @ 0:34
How They Made This Record-Breaking Bridge
Spoiler: the record it breaks is the weight of the span.
At 9:30 there is a good explaination of the purpose of the chains that hange getween the counterweights and the towers. |
Kent Pillatsch
posted 7 photos and a video link
 |
Joe Fishbein commented on Kent's post
My photo from May 1976, showing a Soo Line train waiting for the bridge to lower so they could cross the canal into Hancock. Rails are now long gone from the area. |
1:18 video of a tall (sailing) ship (Brig Niagara) going under the bridge. (Skip to 0:30 for the bridge)
0:34 video of another tall ship (Inland Seas) going under the bridge. The resolution is bad, but if you wait near the end, you can hear a salute.
17:16 video about its construction
.jpg)
