The nightscape of Knoxville is set to shine once more with the return of programmable decorative lighting on the Henley Bridge, a dazzling display dormant for the past six years. The bridge, a central artery of local heritage, will relight its architectural features this Thursday, marking a significant upgrade in both technology and visual allure.

According to a statement released on the City of Knoxville's official site, Mayor Indya Kincannon, together with the Engineering Department Signal Shop staff and LED Lighting Concepts representatives, will proudly unveil the lights at 8:30 p.m. The kickoff celebration to quickly follow this Thursday will feature the bridge bathed in orange and white hues, in honor of the University of Tennessee Volunteers' first home game of the season. These colors not only aim to reflect the local community's spirit but also to support a roster of public events and causes dear to the heart of Knoxvillians.

Not just a pretty fixture, these lights are harbingers of a cost-effective yet advanced solution to city lighting. "We’re excited to have found a cost-effective solution that will again allow us to program the bridge lights in almost any color combinations to celebrate local festivals, public events, and causes that Knoxvillians hold near and dear to their hearts," Mayor Kincannon stated in the City of Knoxville's official site. The new smart LED bulbs utilized are touted to be a tenth of the cost of the previous system and are sourced from a local firm, signaling both fiscal prudence and community investment.

This technical renovation roots itself in necessity, as the original DMX cable used ran into a bout of dampness-induced damage—wreaking havoc akin to a chain of malfunctioning Christmas lights. Ginger Jamrog, owner and business manager of LED Lighting Concepts, expressed her pride in bringing this pioneering technology to her hometown. "The Henley Bridge will be the first project in the nation to use this new technology, and we are thrilled to be involved in the upgrades on the lighting for this iconic bridge," Jamrog said in a statement obtained by the City of Knoxville's official website. The new system leverages a Bluetooth mesh network, enabling wireless operation and simple control via a secured City-issued device.

Moving beyond the fanfare of the technological advance, the lighting's versatility promises to cast a supportive glow for various events, from the Knox Asian Festival to Breast Cancer Awareness Month, with Mayor Kincannon's administration evidently intent to use the Henley Bridge not just as a conduit over water, but as a canvas for civic expression and engagement.

TrendForce 2024 Global LED Lighting Market Analysis
Release Date: 01 February 2024 / 31 July 2024
Language: Traditional Chinese / English
Format: PDF and Excel
Page: 90-100 / Semi-Annual