There will be a short ceremony Tuesday morning to rededicate a newly constructed pedestrian bridge in Bangor.

The original Willard C. Orr Pedestrian Bridge was constructed more than 40 years ago and is in need of an upgrade.

Willard C. Orr Pedestrian Bridge, Jeff Tuttle
Willard C. Orr Pedestrian Bridge, Jeff Tuttle
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According to WABI-TV, the old bridge was deconstructed last fall, and only a few key sections remained. The new pieces arrived in town in April of this year, after some difficulty with the journey to Bangor (it had a hard time negotiating a turn to get off the interstate.)

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Now that the bridge has been finished, Tuesday's ceremony will honor, once again, a local man who gave his life in service to this country.

According to the City of Bangor:

"PFC Willard “Carleton” (as he was known to family) Orr was the only City resident who was killed during the December 7, 1941 attacks on Pearl Harbor. He was 21 years old.  He is considered “Missing in Action” and is memorialized on the Tablets of the Missing at Honolulu Memorial, Honolulu, Hawaii."

Willard C. Orr Pedestrian Bridge, Jeff Tuttle
Willard C. Orr Pedestrian Bridge, Jeff Tuttle
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City officials say that Orr, who was from a large Bangor family and even graduated from Bangor High, received the Purple Heart Award, after his death.

Tuesday's ceremony and ribbon cutting will commence at 11 AM.

The Willard C. Orr Pedestrian Bridge runs across the Kenduskeag Stream, between the Pickering Square area and Exchange Street, by Camden National Bank.

WABI quoted Bangor City Engineer, John Theriault, as saying the entire reconstruction project came with a 1.3 million dollar price tag.

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