March 28, 2024
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Narrows Bridge lighting revised

VERONA ISLAND – The Maine Department of Transportation continues to experiment with different configurations in an effort to provide sufficient light on the deck of the new Penobscot Narrows Bridge.

Motorists have complained about glare from the two sets of lights the department has already installed on the bridge. In an effort to ease that problem, DOT crews made and installed shields on some of the fixtures to direct the light downwards onto the road.

“We’re not satisfied that this is a good solution,” said Carol Morris, a DOT spokesperson for the bridge project.

The problem, Morris said Thursday, is that adding the shields and adjusting them has resulted in less light on the road.

Shortly after the bridge was opened to traffic, motorists had complained that the bridge was too dark. The department installed a set of 10 lights in the southbound lane on the Verona Island end of the bridge, and later added a second set of 10 lights in the northbound lane.

As an alternative to the shields, the DOT will add reflectors to some of the bridge lights to see if that eases the glare problem.

The difficulty, Morris said, is that the department doesn’t want any road lighting to interfere with the decorative lighting on the bridge.

The lights already installed are part of the “necklace” lighting that will highlight the shape of the bridge deck. The bridge pylons and the cable stays, which support the deck, also will be lit.

Those lights, however, will not be turned on until June 23, during BridgeFest, a planned celebration for the bridge. At that time, the observatory located atop the tower on the Prospect side of the bridge will be opened to the public.

“We’ll continue to experiment probably for another four weeks,” Morris said. “Our goal is to get everything set by June 23.”

As the department makes changes to the lights, officials want motorists to comment on the different lighting configurations. Anyone wishing to comment on the lighting plans can write to Bridge Lights, P.O. Box 1772, Bucksport 04416, or go to the Send Your Comments section on the bridge project Web site: www.waldohancockbridge.com.

Correction: This article appeared on page B4 in the Final edition.

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