Portage Bay Bridge Remains Closed as Repairs Continue in Kenora

Kenora, ON – August 2, 2026 – The Portage Bay Bridge remains closed to all vehicle and pedestrian traffic after stress monitoring equipment revealed that portions of the 101-year-old structure’s original steel are not behaving as predicted.

In a July 30 update, the City of Kenora confirmed that while planned repair work has been completed, the bridge cannot safely reopen. “This is not what was expected, and while the monitoring equipment functioned exactly as intended, and identified an issue, it also means that we cannot re-open the bridge at this time,” said Greg Breen, the City’s Director of Infrastructure and Engineering.
Breen explained the challenges of working on a century-old structure: “We’re working with a bridge that is now more than 100 years old, and that means that there can be conditions that differ from what an engineering model predicts when repairs are being designed. This is frustrating for everyone, and there are real impacts that we’re experiencing because of it. Our focus is now on developing how we resolve it properly, to get the bridge re-opened safely.”

The bridge has been closed since October 2024. Phase 1 and Phase 2 repairs were completed earlier this year, but higher-than-anticipated stresses in the original steel have delayed reopening. Workers have been demobilized while the City develops next steps. Motorists and pedestrians are asked to continue following detour signs and alternative routes.
The City thanked the public for its patience during the complex capital project and said it remains committed to a safe reopening.

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Keenan Hutka

Publisher of RL News. Covers Kenora, Northwestern Ontario, and Central Canada — local stories, national politics, and the war in Ukraine.

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