Of course we've been here during the day before on the Pasty Cam, but I think this is the first nighttime crossing of Portage Canal when we've had to wait awhile.

Anybody else ever been held up here after dark?

Hmmmmmmmmm, not that I can recall, now that you mention it. Interesting!

Never held up at the bridge after dark but three or four years ago we arrived at the bridge just after a truck hit an overhead beam with his crane or something he had forgotten to lower! The truck was stuck and traffic was really backed up.
Heard a year later they were still arguing over who was at fault!

I was held up at the bridge after dark in 1996-1997. I believe they were closing the bridge at night for painting. I was an MTU student just returning from an interview trip. I was trying to get from the airport back to Houghton. As I recall, they were supposed to open the bridge up for traffic every hour, but it seems that those of us on the Hancock side had to wait two or three hours to cross.

I remember several years back when a semi, (postal truck I think) took the left turn into Hancock too fast. His rig rolled and hit the wall. It took several hours to right the rig. They finally got it up around 12:30 am.

I remember crossing the old drawbridge in a Model-A that I had just got. After the ore boat went fhrough, I couldn't start the engine. So I asked the man behind me if he wouldn't mind pushing me off the bridge. He wasn't too happy about it, but he did. (He had just picked up his brand new Nash. Didn't want to scratch it, I guess.) Just as we got to the Houghton side, I remembered that I had shut off the gas valve, 'cause the carb leaked. Of course it started instantly and I drove away. I was sorta embarrassed. That was back in 1957. Wish I had that car now!

Did the bridge before this one 'draw' or 'swing'? I thought it swung out to the side.

The bridge prior to the current one was a swing bridge -- which took just this side of forever -- to swing. The current lift bridge was opened in 1959.

My dad who worked on the present lift bridge use to talk about the fire engines coming out from Houghton and Hancock to spray down the old swing bridge because of expansion in the heat and it wouldn't close. At least we're not waiting for that to happen today.

My cousin was to be married on that day in the 40's when the bridge would not close. She was on the Houghton side of the bridge, and her husband-to-be and the church were in Hancock. She had to walk across the watered down bridge in her bridle gown and was helped over the railing between the roadway and the walkway during the crossing. The wedding, tho delayed, did take place, and they taught in the copper country schools until they retired. The temperature on that day, I believe, was 108 degrees F. She had her picture on the front page of the Gazette, taken while she crossed the bridge.

I love the UP and I consider copper country the northern counterpart to the keys.