Penobscot
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Bridge Lights to Link Bangor, Brewer A project local officials say will create new ties between Bangor and Brewer and enhance the sister cities' waterfront development efforts is now under way. On Wednesday, members of Bangor's public works crew began installing new antique-style light fixtures along the Joshua Chamberlain Bridge, one of three spanning the Penobscot between Bangor and Brewer. The installation work began at the Brewer end working toward Bangor, said Bangor City Engineer Jim Ring, who is heading up the joint project. During installation, motorists should be aware that there might be periodic delays on the bridge when traffic is reduced to one lane. The new fixtures were manufactured by Antique Street Lamps of Austin, Texas, and are from the company's Chicago Series, according to the specifications. They will replace the taller, more industrial-looking sodium fixtures now lining the bridge. On Wednesday, Ring said the bridge lights, and the matching lights the two cities are using on their waterfronts, will be of the metal halide type that cast a whiter light than sodium varieties that emit light in an amber or yellow tint. The work is expected to last about a week. The idea behind the lighting project is to make pedestrian travel over the bridge more appealing, while showing the river running between Bangor and Brewer is not a separation but a connector between two communities. "This is another in a series of cooperative ventures between Bangor and Brewer that include public safety mutual aid agreements, use of a common recycling processing center and operation of a regional public transportation system," Brewer Mayor Gail Kelly said in a joint statement issued by the two cities. "Bangor and Brewer are at the heart of our region," said Bangor Mayor Nichi Farnham. "We must continue to find ways to work together for the benefit of our citizens and to reach out to other surrounding communities to find ways to make local government services better." During a joint session of the city councils last October, Bangor City Manger Edward Barrett and Brewer City Manager Stephen Bost signed a cost-sharing agreement for the installation of the light fixtures that will run from the bridge to both cities' main streets. The two communities agreed to split the project's up-to-$80,000 cost. Other areas of cooperation discussed included joint management of the harbor and plans to develop a common style for the signs that will highlight the history and heritage of the Penobscot River and the sister cities. A copyright story from the Bangor Daily News by Dawn Gagnon, Of the NEWS Staff: Thursday, June 19, 2003. |
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The
City of Brewer