The Harbor Bridge lights are a Philips Color Kinetics LED lighting system. Photo: Tumlinson Photography.
Each night in Corpus Christi, as the sun goes down, the lights of the Harbor Bridge go up. Sometimes they are lit in honor of a special day, such as World Diabetes Day, Veterans Day, and others. Any day that they are reflecting across the waters of the harbor, is special to the City of Corpus Christi, its economy, residents, and visitors.
The current LED lights came about through a mix of private and public funding came together over 2010 and 2011. The bridge, which is slated to be torn down in 2021, now has more than 11,000 individually addressable color-changing nodes from Philips Color Kinetics LED lighting systems. The lights have made the iconic but doomed bridge the centerpiece of Corpus Christi nightlife, with hotels facing the bridge regularly selling out. Reservations are needed for any restaurants with a view.
“Our Harbor Bridge has been an icon in the community for many years and since the re-lighting with LED fixtures, it has become a new dimension of pride for our community,” said Adame in a statement for Philips Color Kinetics.
The lights are synchronized with the Corpus Christi Symphony Orchestra in a spectacular city-wide annual show called Pops in the Park. The bridge also becomes part of the city’s Fourth of July fireworks celebrations.
Although the pedestrian path over the 1.1 mile-long bridge is only one-person-wide, a monthly Harbor Bridge Walk is held on the first Sunday of each month. When the new Harbor Bridge opens in 2020 or 2021, it will include a bicycle and pedestrian walkway to accommodate for foot and bike traffic. It will also be decked out with a new set of lights to continue this downtown showstopper’s tradition.
By the way, you can request a night of lights of your own, though it will cost you.
Contact is Rozie Canals at 361-826-3232 or rozier@cctexas.com for the necessary forms, which must be approved before any light switches are thrown.
