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FOOTBALL TIME I T ’ S F O OT B A L L T I M E I N T E N N E S S E E / / S E P T E M B E R / O C TO B E R 2 0 2 4 / / L M & M
in
Tennessee
By Randy Reid
Lighting Up Rocky Top with Color-Changing Bollards On 29 August, just two days before the University of Tennessee's season kickoff, I sat down at Calhoun's in Knoxville with the key players behind the city's latest lighting innovation. Sharing baby back ribs and sweet tea in a setting that felt like a Saturday tailgate were Dave Thomas and Ginger Jamrog of LED Lighting Concepts, Logan Haynes of Knoxville’s Engineering Department Signal Shop, and Peter Augusta, Casambi’s North America General Manager. After dinner, we headed to a prime viewing spot where Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon flipped the switch, illuminating the Henley Street Bridge in a dazzling display of orange and white. This event marked the debut of a transformative lighting project that combines energy efficiency with visual impact. For the first time in six years, decorative lighting has returned to the street-level deck of the Henley Street Bridge. The city upgraded 180 bollard lights with energy-efficient, colorchanging LED technology, turning the bridge into a symbol of community pride. Starting with the University of Tennessee’s
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Photo credit: City of Knoxville
orange and white, these lights can be programmed to celebrate a variety of events and causes, connecting the city to its residents in vibrant new ways.
A VERSATILE LIGHTING SOLUTION The system’s versatility extends far beyond school spirit. The bridge will soon feature pink lights for Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October and red, white, and blue for Election Day in November. Mayor Kincannon emphasized the project’s broad appeal, saying “We’re excited to have found a cost-effective solution that will again allow us to program the bridge lights in almost any color combination to celebrate local festivals, public events, and causes that Knoxvillians hold near and dear to their hearts.” The return of these lights represents more than just an aesthetic improvement. Peter Augusta of Casambi explained, “This is a great example of the power of the Casambi open ecosystem. Our partner, LED Lighting Concepts, has built a