A Bright Winter for Montpelier
Montpelier Alive has big plans this winter! Thanks to some successful grant writing and crowdfunding, we will be able to complete Phase 1 of our ambitious Bridge Illumination Project. The Bridge Illumination Project will artfully light up to seven of Montpelier’s downtown bridges, connecting neighborhoods to each other and the commercial center. Montpelier Alive is currently installing the necessary electric infrastructure on seven historic bridges and this winter will light the School Street, Langdon Street, Bailey Avenue and Rialto Bridges!
In March, Montpelier Alive received a matching grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development’s Better Places program. In only a few short weeks, we reached our crowdfunding goal and are poised to receive the full benefit of the grant. Montpelier Alive is now turning its attention towards Phase 2. This part of the project involves lighting up the Main Street, Taylor Street and Granite Street bridges along the Winooski.
Lighting up the bridges along the Winooski corridor will not only create an exciting cityscape, attracting tourism and broader interest in Montpelier from the region as a whole, it will also provide the opportunity for more foot traffic into the business district from the River Street side of the city. We are excited to draw attention to and provide greater access to that part of town.
Montpelier Alive is actively seeking funding for Phase 2 of the project, but any and all donations will help. We should know by early summer how many bridges we can afford, but the hope is to light all 7 bridges in the Capital City! Donations will be accepted throughout the entire month of May, officially closing on May 31st.
Montpelier is a city of mountains and rivers and has become, by necessity, a city of bridges. The Bridge Illumination Project is a way for Montpelier to express its resiliency, vibrancy and commitment to community connection while also raising awareness of the city’s complex relationship with its rivers. Look for upcoming stories, workshops, and walking tours on the histories of Montpelier’s bridges and rivers. Let’s help Montpelier build back brighter!
By: Sheena Khan (Marketing & Communications Manager for Montpelier Alive)
