BURLINGTON, Iowa — The city of Burlington is celebrating new lighting on its iconic bridge.
The $500,000 upgrades are on the Great River Bridge, known as the H-bridge in the community for its distinctive vertical look.
On May 22, over a hundred people gathered on the riverfront to watch the lighting ceremony.
The Southeastern Community College's jazz band played before a documentary film on the bridge by several students was shown.
The bridge was lit by around 9 p.m. followed by a short display of fireworks.
The improvements are part of citywide lighting improvements directed by Downtown Partners, Inc., a non-profit focused on the revitalization of downtown Burlington.
“Burlington's Lightscape project actually started in 2010 when we lit St. John's steeple which is the highest church in the city," Burlington Lightscape co-chair Gretchen Miller said. "After that steeple was lit, we determined to light other steeples in the downtown in 2016.”
Miller explained that focus eventually turned to the bridge, as its lighting has long needed replacing.
“When the bridge was built in 1993 it was lit, but unfortunately due to the harsh Iowa winters and snow being put on the deck of the bridge, and then the snow plows go through, it deteriorated the lights and eventually they all went out," she said.
The new improvements are finally possible after years of fundraising, coordinating with the city of Burlington and working with contractors.
"Just this bridge alone, we have for the bridge alone, we have raised around $500,000 — and that is strictly because of the generous donors that we have in the Burlington area community," co-chair Donna Logan said. "Wonderful foundations, businesses, individuals — everybody has just been most generous."
Over 64 units of lighting was designed by Energyficient Systems, Inc. and installed by Frank Millard Company — both locally based businesses.
"We're replacing all of the lights with LED lighting, which ties in with the steeple lighting in the downtown — so we're very excited to have this project done and relight our beautiful bridge,” Miller said.
Project leaders said the bridge lighting is a perfect way to honor and celebrate the place called "home."
"They tell their kids, 'there's the H-bridge,'" Miller said. "The H means home, you're going home to Burlington, Iowa — so it means a lot to people here in town. It's a very historic bridge.”
The next Lightscape project will focus on Snake Alley, a road planners described as being similar to the famously winding Lombard Street in San Francisco, CA. Planners hope to complete those improvements by 2024.
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