Design Expertise Bridges
Connecting Communities Through Light
Bridge Design
Bridges are often the most visible components of the local landscape and frequently play a strong role in expressing the values and identity of their surrounding communities. Whether they’re washed in dynamic color changing scenes or simple, elegant white light solutions, the lighting of these structures must account for the safety of all modes of transportation crossing their span, while respecting neighboring habitats for humans and animals. Our firm has spearheaded these efforts for more than half a century, shaping skylines around the world with bold, evocative bridge lighting solutions.
I-74 Mississippi River Bridge
Grand Avenue Park Bridge
bridge Keys to
lighting
Create a Safe Travel Experience
Lighting must provide appropriate visual conditions for safe multimodal travel at all hours of the day, while also being considerate of the surrounding environment.
Reinforce Community Pride
Bridges should stand as beacons of community pride, with lighting that exudes unique character and feels representative of the region, its people, and their values.
Celebrate Monumental Scale
With monumental scale comes exciting possibilities to communicate with an expanded audience and achieve iconic status.
Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge
Samuel De Champlain Bridge Veterans’ Glass City Skyway
Lowry Avenue Bridge
Design Team
T.Y. Lin International
Background
2.1 miles | 3.4 kilometers
$4.2 B
Awards
Illuminating Engineering Society Award of Merit
LIT Lighting Design Award for Bridges and Public Infrastructure Lighting / Light Art
Completion Date
July 2019
Samuel De Champlain Bridge
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Spanning over three kilometers across the St. Lawrence River, this striking cable-stayed bridge has become a modern icon of Montreal, symbolizing the city’s vibrancy and the cultural diversity of Canada. Lighting transforms the bridge into a vibrant canvas, visually representing Montreal’s dynamic identity while seamlessly integrating into the bridge’s architectural and structural elements.
HLB developed a custom dynamic scene based on studies that showed blue and green hues that are the least distracting lighting wavelengths to migrating birds.
The lighting system carries dynamic motion along the roadway and up the inner faces of the cable-stay towers, blending technical precision with artistic storytelling.
To mitigate environmental impact, designers conducted detailed light pollution studies and created birdfriendly lighting scenes in hues least disruptive to migrating species. Through close collaboration with stakeholders, the team crafted lighting content that celebrates Montreal and Canada’s communities. Whether subtly illuminating the bridge or displaying vibrant dynamic scenes, this innovative design has cemented the bridge as a beacon of unity, adaptability, and resilience.
Design Team
Alfred Benesch & Co
Background 10 miles | 16 kilometers
Awards
Illuminating Engineering Society
Award of Excellence
Illuminating Engineering Society Lumen Award
Completion Date December 2021
I-74 Mississippi River Bridge
Quad Cities, Illinois, United States
This striking double basket-handled arch bridge transforms into a vibrant symbol of community and celebration at night, brought to life by a dynamic lighting system programmed with 25 scenes that mark seasons, holidays, and city events.
As a gateway for pedestrians and cyclists, the bridge features a popular pathway with a glass-floored oculus and overlook, offering an inviting pause for travelers while showcasing an innovative interplay of light and architecture. Dynamic lighting scenes and creative integration of architectural elements celebrate the spirit of the midwestern city while creating a memorable experience for all who cross it.
At nighttime, the lighting heightens the forms of this elegant structure, revealing different elements like the full curve of the underside of the arch and the vibration dampers on the cables, which are not as evident during the day.
The Identity Element columns make clever use of reflective blue highway sign material which evenly distributes illumination from a single, discreet light source at the base of each column.
After 13 years of planning, fundraising, and design, the bridge now stands as a testament to progress, unity, and the power of thoughtful design.
Walterdale Bridge
Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The Walterdale Bridge gracefully spans the North Saskatchewan River, blending its elegant structural form with the natural beauty of the river valley and the urban skyline of Edmonton. This striking through-arch structure is illuminated by lines of color-changing light along its canted arches, programmed to celebrate holidays, seasons, and city events.
Low-level LED lighting integrated into the handrail ensures controlled illumination along the cantilevered shared-use path, allowing unobstructed views of the river and the Edmonton skyline.
The bridge has quickly become an iconic symbol for the city, enhancing its identity and fostering a sense of community. Realignment of major roadways and thoughtful integration of lighting design enhance its presence as a landmark that revitalizes the city’s postcard-perfect views while creating a vibrant gathering place in North America’s largest urban parkland.
Serving as a new gateway into Downtown Edmonton, the 206-meter single-span bridge provides a seamless connection between urban and natural environments.
Design Team
Completion
WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff
Veterans’ Glass City Skyway
Toldeo, Ohio, United States
The relighting of this iconic glass-enclosed bridge tower transformed a beloved local landmark, reigniting community pride and engagement through dynamic light shows and artistic collaboration. HLB proposed strategic upgrades to enhance color control, expand programming options, and enable a rotating calendar of vivid, immersive light displays.
The artists’ scenarios play on a rotating schedule, interspersed with celebrations of holidays, seasons, and local events as remote accessibility allows for manual selections.
To further foster community connection, the owner partnered with a local arts institution, bringing together the lighting design team and six artists to craft unique lighting content.
The artists’ concepts, spanning mediums such as quilts and stained glass, were transformed into light using custom-scaled videos, layered effects, and still imagery that captured the vibrancy of their designs. HLB provided education and demonstrations on light properties to guide the artists, resulting in scenes celebrating holidays, seasons, and local sports teams.
Design Team
Completion Date November 2015
T.Y. Lin International
Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge
Worcester, Massachusetts, United States
Spanning a bustling lake frequented by swimmers, boaters, and regattas, the Kenneth F. Burns Memorial Bridge has transformed from a structurally deficient crossing into a vibrant beacon of light for central Massachusetts. The bridge’s curved arches are softly illuminated from below, accentuating their graceful form while minimizing light intrusion on nearby lakeside residences.
At each abutment, 50-foot-tall sail-shaped sculptures are brought to life with color-changing LED lighting, creating iconic focal points visible from across
the lake
Accent lights on interpretive panels and city seals add moments of discovery for pedestrians and cyclists, reinforcing the bridge’s role as a welcoming and functional community landmark.
Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Standing as a monumental presence on the bay since 1987, this four-mile bridge has long been a symbol of the city’s skyline. Until recently, however, its massive substructure disappeared into the night, leaving the dramatic form of its piers and roadway span unseen after sunset. By washing the colossal piers with light and accentuating the silhouette of the roadway with delicate necklace lights, HLB crafted a new signature identity for the bridge while improving safety for small boats and cruise ships navigating the bay at night.
With input from local transportation agency stakeholders, HLB developed programming scenarios centered around images evocative of the local area.
Each pier and necklace light is individually controllable, enabling dynamic, kinetic programs inspired by local imagery and celebratory displays for holidays and community events.
With an intuitive user interface, the owner can create static color schemes or custom scenes for special occasions, transforming the bridge into a nightly spectacle.
Lowry Avenue Bridge
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Spanning 900 feet across the Mississippi River just upstream of downtown Minneapolis, the Lowry Avenue Bridge is a vital transportation corridor for the city, replacing an aging truss structure with a bold and modern tied-arch design. Hennepin County sought to create a bridge that would not only provide safe and functional connectivity but also serve as a unifying symbol for the community, celebrating its history while looking toward the future.
The lighting design brightens the baskethandle arches with vibrant, color-changing LEDs, transforming the bridge into a dynamic landmark.
A custom-designed valance at the top of the arch ribs conceals the fixtures, ensuring clean lines and minimal visual disruption. Static and kinetic lighting programs celebrate holidays, community events, and city milestones with dazzling displays. Along the pedestrian pathway, custom LED steplights integrated into vertical support rails provide safe, subtle illumination while preserving views of the river. Together, these lighting strategies create a striking, welcoming beacon for Minneapolis residents and visitors alike.
HLB Lighting Design
Grand Avenue Park Bridge