On Saturday, a committee of citizens and city officials from Portsmouth, NH and Kittery, ME will flip the switch on $200,000 worth of lights, now installed on the new Memorial Bridge.
The Memorial Bridge Illumination Committee spent more than a year planning and fundraising for the bridge's lights. Major funders include Public Service of New Hampshire, and Archer Western, the contracting company that finished installing the Memorial Bridge in August.
Initially, the illumination planning process sparked friction from residents who were concerned light pollution would interfere with star-gazing. Ultimately, all parties were satisfied with a lighting plan that includes energy-efficient LED lights that point downward toward the water, rather than upward into the sky.
The new lights will be turned on following an afternoon celebration in downtown Portsmouth