The LED lights on the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge have indicated special days and blinked in tandem with fireworks and music for the Fourth of July and Friday night Whataburger Field displays for over 10 years. They will be removed within the next 10 weeks by a vote of the Corpus Christ City Council. Courtesy photo
Corpus Christi council votes to turn off outdated LED lights on Harbor Bridge
The Harbor Bridge is going dark before it goes down after the Corpus Christi City Council voted to have the LED lights removed from the structure before they fall off. At its regular meeting June 8, the council approved a $448,725 payment to Pfeiffer & Son LTD to remove the 11-year-old decorative lighting system, which has become an iconic symbol of seasonal celebrations in the city.
Brackets holding the lights in place have corroded and loosened, becoming a danger if any fell off. The company doing the removal installed the system in 2010. At the time, the company recommended going with better brackets, but the City Council voted for brackets with a five-year life span. They have lasted almost 11 years but now have to be removed, City Manager Peter Zanoni said.
Fixing the lights would cost $850,000, which Zanoni said would not be a good investment of funds. The bridge is expected to be torn down in 2025 once the new Harbor Bridge is completed. Almost one-fourth of the brackets are broken.
The city will receive help in paying for the bill from the Port of Corpus Christi and the Texas Department of Transportation as all three are partners in installing and maintaining the lights. While no money will change hands, the city will receive credits of $150,000 from both the port and TxDOT for work in other areas.
The lights should be down within 10 weeks, Zanoni told the council.
