HOUGHTON — Parking has reopened temporarily on the east side of the new Lakeshore Drive lot as work continues to restore and improve the space formerly inhabited by the parking deck.

The lot is accessible by driving through a gate off Huron Street and entering through a curb opening by Swift’s Hardware; vehicles will leave the same way. A “road closed” sign is placed at Huron Street to signify that part of Lakeshore Drive is still inaccessible.

Fifty-six spaces have been striped on the lot. It will remain available until the space is temporarily shut down for paving, anticipated to be some time in September, said City Manager Eric Waara.

“The whole operation will probably take about a week,” he said. The space will be milled, crushed and shaped, regraded and then covered with 2 or 3 inches of new asphalt.

With the parking deck demolished, work is turning to readying the rest of Lakeshore Drive as well as the new walkway down Pewabic Street from Shelden Avenue to Lakeshore.

Work has gone well, but contained its share of surprises, Waara said.

Today, crews were doing dye testing on drains in adjoining buildings after unearthing part of an old sewer. (It appears to be unconnected.)

The parking lot and street work is relatively easy, Waara said. Pewabic Street will require more specialty work, including retaining walls that need to be poured in a particular sequence.

“It’s going to feel like everything is slowing down, but Pewabic Street’s the last part of the job they’re going to be working on,” he said. “That’ll take us into October before it’s finished.”

In September, people will start to be able to drive the length of Lakeshore Drive, at least in the evenings. The trucks needed for work on Pewabic Street will still be parked on Lakeshore during the day, Waara said.