Connector lights to be turned on by next summer

These are some of the 89 lights recently erected along the Lowell Connector. SUN / BOB WHITAKER

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LOWELL -- Dozens of streetlights that run the length of the Lowell Connector installed during the summer have yet to be turned on, but officials say it's all part of the construction schedule.

Though the streetlights are up, workers for the state project still have to run wiring and conduits along the roughly 2-mile roadway, according to the state Department of Transportation. Frozen ground over the winter will keep work stalled until somewhere around early April, department spokeswoman Sara Lavoie said.

"There are few construction activities that can occur during the winter months (but) this is not one of them," she said.

Construction will require occasional night work and is expected to be completed by next summer, according to Henri Marchand, assistant to the city manager.

The lights were installed as part of a $2.5 million state safety-improvement project that also includes repairing or replacing existing lighting at the interchange of the Connector and Interstate 495. In all, 89 streetlights are included in the project.

Wiring must also be inspected after installation before the lights can be turned on, Lavoie said.

The project remains on schedule and on budget, she said.

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Connector lights to be turned on by next summer