The Fairport Lift Bridge may be over a century old, but it’s getting new lighting to help show off that historic structure.
The 114-year-old bridge underwent a major renovation that finished up last summer, and now the New York State Power Authority and the Canal Corporation are unveiling new lighting along the span which is a key part of the downtown area in the Village of Fairport.
Shane Mahar is a spokesman for the Canal Corp. He said the lift bridge is the first of several planned lighting projects around the state to illuminate historic parts of the canal-way infrastructure.
“We’re looking to celebrate these structures, really looking to put them as a main focal point in communities, celebrate what the canal means and is in each of these communities and this is a really cool way to take a piece of infrastructure that is still operating on today’s canal and putting a spotlight on it,” said Mahar.
The Fairport Lift Bridge project features power-efficient LED lighting, and the electricity will be supplied by Fairport Electric, one of the Power Authority’s municipal electric power customers.
The new lights will be colored red, green and white during Christmas, and then revert back to white lights after the holidays.
Mahar said the lighting along the bridge in Fairport will be dimmed overnight so as not to be a distraction to nearby residents or travelers.
The newly installed lighting is the first of several planned lighting projects being done to illuminate historic pieces of New York’s canalway infrastructure.
