New Sidney Lanier Bridge to haved turtle-friendly lights

BRUNSWICK - The Sidney Lanier Bridge under construction in Brunswick will be turtle-friendly when it&#39;s finally completed. <br> <br> There were concerns that the decorative lights used to illuminate the bridge at night would confuse the endangered sea turtles that nest and hatch on St. Simons and Jekyll islands. <br> <br> But U.S. Representative Jack Kingston of Savannah and Georgia Senators Max Cleland and Zell Miller met with federal officials yesterday and have cleared the way for soft, turtle-friendly lighting. <br> <br> The 7,780-foot bridge, suspended by cable from two 480-foot towers, spans the Brunswick River to the Jekyll Island Causeway, providing key access from Brunswick south to the mainland. <br> <br> It is being built to replace a 43-year-old drawbridge that the Coast Guard has declared a navigation hazard. The $110 million project is already nearly 18 months behind schedule and will not open until September at the earliest. <br> <br> Kingston said, ``The turtle-friendly lights won&#39;t be Las Vegas bright, but they should enhance the beautiful design of the bridge while not interfering with the light-sensitive loggerhead turtles.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Bright lights on the bridge, while eye-catching for tourists, could disorient nesting adult turtles and baby hatchlings.