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M-26 detour at Silver River bridge in Keweenaw County to be lifted Friday

EAGLE HARBOR, Mich. - The current detour of M-26 at the Silver River between Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor is scheduled to be lifted Friday, June 30, a week earlier than originally planned.

Beginning Friday afternoon, traffic will resume on eastbound and westbound M-26. One lane of alternating traffic will be maintained at the bridge using temporary signals.

M-26 has been closed just west of the western entrance to Brockway Drive, about 10 miles from Copper Harbor. The bridge was closed in late April when a retaining wall failed, compromising the roadway. A $2.9 million Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) project to remove and replace the bridge had already been scheduled for this summer.

With a new bridge deck poured, the span can be opened to one lane of traffic for the duration of the project. Additional work remains, including roadway excavation, gravel placement, asphalt paving, guardrail installation, and concrete surface coating. The project is expected to be completed by the end of July.

The ongoing project will replace a bridge that has reached the end of its useful service life. The roadway section of the new bridge will be wider, including 12-foot lanes and 8-foot shoulders, providing more space and increased safety for bicyclists and pedestrians.

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