New lights for the ‘New Bridge’

New lights for the ‘New Bridge’

Project will install modern LED lighting on Hernando DeSoto Bridge

news@theeveningtimes.com

Installing new decorative ‘Mighty Lights” on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge will necessitate lane closures on I-40 in June. The new bridge will sport the same LED lights as the Big River Crossing, punctuating the Memphis skyline with colored lighting. Like candles on a cake, the new lights will be installed in time to celebrate the City of Memphis’s 200th anniversary.

“A group of local visionaries worked to light the Hernando DeSoto Bridge in 1986 and it has become one of the city’s most recognizable icons,” said Webb Wilson, Memphis Bridge Lighting, Inc. board member. “The existing infrastructure needs replacement, and we can’t think of a better way to celebrate our city’s bicentennial than to build upon the existing lighting capabilities. Mighty Lights will bring together the expansive LED lighting capabilities of both bridges into one package.”

Mighty Lights, which can introduce millions of dynamic colors and pattern designs, will synchronize and coordinate the Hernando DeSoto Bridge and BRX lighting to achieve dramatic effects that bookend the Mississippi River and highlight the entire river front in between. Additionally, new lighting on the ‘M’-styled bridge will be highly visible from both south and north viewpoints, including Harbor Town.

Installation and construction is scheduled to begin in early June. The project will first close two lanes of traffic on the westbound side of I-40, beginning June 4, for six days a week from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., concluding on July 14. Then, the project will close two lanes eastbound for six days a week, again from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., from July 16 to Aug. 25.

Current lights on the Interstate 40 bridge will shut off during Philips’ construction period, as the bulbs themselves are replaced.

The full power of Mighty Lights, including the Hernando DeSoto Bridge, will be revealed to the public after sundown on Saturday, October 27 in conjunction with the annual River Arts Fest, which has announced its growth and move to Riverside Drive between Union and Jefferson Avenues. River Arts will open its doors for free admission after 5 p.m., offering an expansive view of the bridges among approximately one hundred artist vendor booths. Additionally, public spaces such as Tom Lee Park, Martyr’s Park and river-facing attractions are invited to welcome the community to view the Mighty Lights for the first time.

“This free and one-of-akind attraction is for all of Memphis,” said George Monger, Memphis Bridge Lighting, Inc. board member. “We believe that Mighty Lights will become a point of pride for all Memphians.”

Mighty Lights, a $14 million gift to the City of Memphis, is completely privately funded. $12.5 million of the total has been raised to date. During this public stage of Mighty Lights’ capital fund development effort, dedication opportunities of vertical cables and arcs on the Hernando DeSoto Bridge are now available. Interested donors may inquire about financial participation via the contact page of mightylights.

com.

Follow the Mighty Lights’ Hernando DeSoto construction progress and nightly show announcements at facebook.com/mightylightsmemphis.

By John Rech