LIGHTS FOR NEW BRIDGE

One of the most imposing sights in San Francisco is the graceful Golden Gate Bridge with its sweeping spans crossing the entrance to the spectacular bay. In New York, the historic Brooklyn Bridge (across the East River) and the more modern George Washington Bridge (across the Hudson River) frame the urban setting of the country's largest city.

What these bridges and many others have in common is the spectacular view they offer at night. Lights on the bridges illumine the graceful lines of the spans.

With a new bridge of equally imposing lines slated for construction across the Mississippi River linking Cape Girardeau to Illinois, some thought already is being given to the idea of making it a thing of beauty by night.

The Chamber of Commerce's Beautification Committee has looked at other bridges whose lights make them notable pieces of landscape architecture. The new bridge is expected to cost nearly $70 million. And, the chamber committee has learned, it could cost more than $400,00 to make it light up at night.

This is an enormous sum of money, and the Missouri Department of Highways and Transportation doesn't intend to cover the cost, given the tight funding situation for transportation projects.

Completion of the new bridge is still several years away at best. The Beautification Committee thinks that is enough time to give the lighting project serious consideration and to look for sources of funding. Both private sources and even a special tax are among the possibilities under consideration.

The cost estimate plus the yearly expense of electricity and maintenance for the lights are high. But the Beautification Committee is right about one thing: If the new bridge is going to be spectacular at night, now is the time to think about how to make that possible.