Officials with the Harbor Bridge Project, which constructed the new Harbor Bridge in Corpus Christi, announced that the cable-stayed bridge now has a new lighting system that spans the entire length of its pedestrian and cyclist path.
“The US 181 Harbor Bridge Project has reached another important milestone with the completion of permanent illumination along the bridge’s Shared-Use Path (SUP), creating a continuous, approximately 9,500-foot (1.8-mile) illuminated route for pedestrians and cyclists,” bridge officials said in a news release on Monday, October 5.
The lighting system consists of nearly 600 LED puck-style lights that were selected for their durability and longevity in the harsh coastal climate, according to bridge officials. The lights were installed every 16 feet about 11 inches above the curb. The puck lights continue through the center point of the bridge, where a so-called “belvedere” offers pedestrians a place to rest while enjoying panoramic views of the Corpus Christi skyline. Further LED lights are integrated into the bench integrated in the lookout point.
At its height, the bridge rises 205 feet above the waters of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. The 10-foot-wide pedestrian path, which is protected from vehicular traffic by a concrete wall and railing, is ADA accessible. From end to end, the bridge spans about 3,295 feet; however, the shared-use path extends much farther onto land. On the south side of the bridge, the shared-use path begins at the intersection of Lake and Sam Rankin streets in downtown Corpus Christi and ends on North Beach along East Causeway Boulevard between Surfboard and Gulfspray avenues.
Earlier this year, the new Harbor Bridge was named the scariest bridge in Texas in a poll of more than 3,000 cyclists conducted by Bisnar Chase, a personal injury law firm headquartered in Newport Beach, California.
“The sheer scale still makes it a pulse-raiser,” Bisnar Chase officials said in June.
Harbor Bridge officials invited the public to get a firsthand look at the new pedestrian path illumination system during National Night Out, a community event hosted by the Corpus Christi Police Department. The event takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, October 6.
“The milestone represents more than the completion of an electrical system, it creates an elevated nighttime experience for pedestrians and cyclists to enjoy the Harbor Bridge,” officials said.