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NATCHEZ—The city’s aldermen decided to purchase lights for the Mississippi River bridges, even though it may be a while before other work is done.

Aldermen made that decision because time was running out to use earmarked funds for the project, and those funds could have been lost if they had not been spent.

Aldermen approved Mississippi Valley Electric Supply’s successful bid for $282,744 in LED lights. Those lights will be enough to fully illuminate the north side of the bridge from Natchez to Vidalia, Louisiana, and the south front of the bridge from Vidalia to Natchez.

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann earmarked the funds in 2022 and approved them by the Mississippi Legislature. The total funds received for this phase of the project were $500,000. Natchez Mayor Dan Gibson said other money has been spent on engineering services for lighting the bridge and licensing from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard.

He said the bulbs would “remain fine” when purchased and stored by the city until the remainder of the project can be completed.

“Because the lights are heavy-duty and meant for exterior applications in all kinds of weather, they will be fine for a long time,” Gibson said. “There were two reasons we wanted to go ahead and get these lights. Number one, they only guarantee the prices for 60 days because of questions regarding tariffs. And we had a date by which we needed to use the appropriation.”

He said Hosemann would be happy to know “we have gotten this accomplished.”

The mayor said that lighting the interior of the bridge is not being considered at this time because of cost prohibitions. However, he said lighting the piers may be considered in the future.

“The next step now that we will be purchasing the lights is to proceed with the strategy for installing the lights…The cost of installation is very likely going to require us to go to the legislature again for an appropriation,” Gibson said. “It will also allow us to go to the State of Louisiana and make a request for their participation. We have continued to invite them, but they have yet to come through with any money, but we are not giving up.”

He also said the lights approved for purchase by the aldermen are dimmer than those that once lit the bridge.

“The new plan is actually a dimmer light and part of that is being done with environmental concerns in mind. They include a dimming capability and we can schedule the lights so that during migratory season, it can be turned off and not affect the migratory patterns of birds. It has been proven by studies that it can lead to the death of a good many birds when they are thrown off course due to blinding lights. We are very sensitive to that,” Gibson said.