Portage Bay Bridge Repair Update

Please be advised that the Portage Bay Bridge will not reopen at the end of July as previously communicated. While planned repair work has been completed, stress monitoring equipment installed on the bridge has shown that portions of the 101-year-old bridge’s original steel are not behaving as predicted.

For public safety, the bridge will remain closed as the City actively works towards a solution. Please continue to follow detour signs, barriers, and use alternative routes.

Repairs to the Portage Bay Bridge initially began in October 2025, at which time the contractor uncovered additional deterioration that not previously visible. To address this, the workplan was adjusted and work was completed in two phases:

• Phase 1, began in April 2026: temporary bracing and installation of high-strength bolts to replace old rivets to stabilize the structure for the permanent repairs.
• Phase 2, began in June: permanent repairs, where new brackets and tension structural rods that will help carry the load were be installed.

The repair’s objective was to reduce stress in the original steel to restore the required structural capacity through the addition of tensioned steel rods that work together with the bridge’s bottom chord.

Following completion of the Phrase 2 repairs, stress-test data indicated that portions of the bridge’s bottom chord are not behaving as anticipated.

Based on this assessment, the bridge cannot safely be reopened at this time.

The City is committed to the safe reopening of the Portage Bay bridge and the City is actively working towards a solution.

We thank the public for their patience and cooperation during this complex capital project.

For the latest updates, visit Kenora.ca/capitalprojects and follow the City of Kenora on Facebook and Instagram.