From staff reports
The Oil City Main Street Program and the Oil Region Alliance are gearing up for the final stages of the Center Street Bridge lighting project.
Snyder Electric has begun the installation process and it will be complete in a few weeks, with an illumination event in the planning stages.
The project involves color-changing LED lights that are being attached to the arches and uprights of the north and south faces of the bridge structure, with a strip of flexible lighting running across the base of the bridge.
The total cost of the project is $88,393.58 including design, materials, equipment and labor, and is being funded entirely through various private grants and resources, not municipal funds.
A total of $83,607.38, or 95 percent of the funding, has been secured so far.
The remaining $4,785.21 is still needed for the installation of the final piece, which is the flexible lighting.
Anyone with questions about contributions can contact the Venango County Community Foundation at (814) 677-8687 or the Oil City Main Street program at (814) 677-3152, ext. 101.
Last fall, the Oil City Main Street Program enlisted the help of additional partners to implement the bridge lighting project. Kim Harris, project manager at the Oil Region Alliance, has been added to oversee the construction details and installation phase.
In November, The Venango County Community Foundation stepped forward to help raise the remaining funds. The foundation is waiving all administrative fees for the project so that all the donations will go toward the project.
Bailey said the Main Street Program is working on a “bridge party” of sorts to celebrate the completion and officially light up the bridge.
“The Center Street Bridge is a distinctive historic structure in our downtown,” Bailey said. “The lights will highlight the architectural details and illuminate an important gateway into downtown Oil City.”
