If Bridgeville officials did nothing to improve field lighting at both baseball fields at Chartiers Park, the lights would soon fail, forcing the cancellation of nighttime practices, games and community events, said Borough Manager Joe Kauer.
But $150,000 in state funding awarded to the borough Dec. 18 will help prevent that from happening.
Bridgeville will undergo a project to upgrade the lighting at both of the park’s baseball fields, Kauer said.
The project will replace all electrical components, remove decayed wooden poles and install new rot-resistant metal poles, and upgrade to energy-efficient LED lighting to improve visibility and reduce costs, Kauer said.
“The existing wooden light poles are in poor condition, the electrical components are deteriorated, and the control systems — installed over 50 years ago — are damaged and partially obsolete,” he said. “Replacement parts are no longer available, and temporary fixes have been made to keep the lights operable.
“These improvements will enhance safety, reliability and sustainability while reducing maintenance needs and energy consumption.”
The money comes from a Local Share Account grant which is funded by state gambling tax revenues.
Kauer said the overall cost of the ballfield lighting project is estimated at $500,000; and the borough has several other grant applications pending to help offset the total cost.
He anticipates construction to begin in mid to late 2026.
