When the Astoria-Megler Bridge was built in 1966, the navigational lighting was tied into the electrical grid. After 45 years, it had begun to deteriorate. The Oregon Department of Transportation received a grant from the Federal Highway Administration to install a solar-powered navigational lighting system on the bridge in the summer of 2011 as part of a $355,000 pilot project. The new lights are bright, high-efficiency LEDs.
