EAGLE HARBOR, Mich. (WZMQ) – A complete closure and detour of M-26 at the Silver River between Eagle Harbor and Copper Harbor began Saturday night due to failure of the bridge retaining wall.
Traffic will be detoured via a posted route on US-41. The M-26 closure will be just west of the western entrance to Brockway Drive, about 10 miles from Copper Harbor.
The bridge has had one lane closed since fall 2021 due to deterioration of one of the culvert’s historic stone retaining walls. Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) bridge inspectors have been closely monitoring the movement of the wall. The retaining wall failed today, compromising the roadway, so MDOT will close the bridge this evening to to ensure the safety of the traveling public.
The bridge had been scheduled to close Tuesday to begin work on a $2.9 million MDOT project to remove and replace the bridge this summer. The project and the required closure are expected to last about 10 weeks.
