M-26 culvert repair starts May 7 in Houghton County

HANCOCK, Mich. ­- Under a permit from the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), crews working for the Houghton County Road Commission will build a box culvert at the M-26/Ripley Street intersection in Ripley, Houghton County. The work, part of a project to repair damaged infrastructure from the 2018 Father's Day Flood, will require closing a lane on M-26 beginning late this week.

County:
Houghton

Highway:
M-26

Closest community:
Ripley

Tentative start date:
Thursday, May 7, 2026

Estimated end date:
June 2027

Traffic restrictions:
Motorists should expect single-lane closures from May 7 through mid-August, with traffic regulators and temporary traffic signals.

Safety benefit:
The project will provide a long-term replacement for a culvert damaged in the June 2018 Father's Day Flood and increase the resilience of the infrastructure.