Construction on a new pier on Lake Portage is set to begin in an matter of weeks. The structure will reach from Michigan Tech’s campus, past the Portage Lake District Library To the lift bridge that connects Houghton to Hancock. Michigan’s Strategic Fund approved a 4 million dollar grant to help the city complete the 4.9 million dollar project. We talked to Houghton. City Manager Eric Waara to get details earlier today. “What happened when we were ready to bid this last year, the estimate was $3.8 million. What happened in the intervening time and with COVID-19 and supply chains and everything else – the price of steel doubled.” Waara said. “But the Michigan Strategic Fund board, they were the final say. Basically, once you have all your ducks in a row, you have to go and pitch it to Lansing. They decide whether or not this is warranted and they funded it.”