“Since construction, this bridge has served as a symbol for the Commonwealth,” said Secretary Davey. “Today, we renew our belief that a bridge can be more than a symbol. It can help build community. This new color technology will allow us to promote, engage and inform our community in a sustainable way.”
The $150,000 investment allows MassDOT to light the bridge towers in a more dramatic blue. The technology also lets MassDOT create custom colors remotely, with the push of a button, with zero impact to traffic in order to participate in charity lightings and special events. In the past, any color adjustment required a pre-planned lane closure and manual filter changes on metal halide lights.
In keeping with its GreenDOT policy, MassDOT is reducing energy consumption by approximately 80 percent with the installation of this dynamic LED lighting solution, made up of 16 fixtures.
The LED lighting solution from Burlington-based Philips Color Kinetics uses high-bandwidth, bi-directional, Ethernet speed data transmission to enable the full range of dynamic, color-changing effects. The new system uses the bridge’s existing electrical infrastructure, avoiding costly and disruptive electrical rewiring.
MassDOT Highway District 6 staffers worked beneath the bridge stringing more than a mile of new cable, installing lights, receivers and the final glare shields before aiming the lights with architect Miguel Rosales to prepare for today’s reveal.
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