Signature Fort Worth Bridges Shine With RGB Lighting System
The three signature bridges for the Trinity River Vision Panther Island project near downtown Fort Worth feature RGB LED lighting that dramatically highlights the unique geometry of the structures and allows the city to celebrate events with a kaleidoscope of color possibilities.
Freese and Nichols designed the bridges in collaboration with renowned bridge architect Miguel Rosales. They have an innovative design with a thin concrete superstructure supported by distinctive V-piers spaced 200 feet apart and will serve as landmarks for the new Panther Island riverfront. The bridges opened in 2021, and a new bypass channel is to be constructed underneath them to reroute the Trinity River for increased flood protection.
Each V-pier is fitted with eight light fixtures, and each of those is equipped with RGB lighting that illuminates the top and bottom surfaces, achieving an elegant visual impact. While a graceful blue was the originally envisioned color tone for the lighting, the RGB capability gives the city millions of other color choices, including purple for Texas Christian University; red, white and blue for the July 4 holiday; and other options.
The project included standardizing the bridges into a single software system that the city can use for all its LED lighting for public art displays.
