Dynamic lighting to soon add glow to iconic Napier Bridge

According to a Chennai Corporation official, the project consultant has submitted three options to provide lighting arrangement and the senior officials are yet to finalise the design. “We had already floated tenders inviting firms to install dynamic lighting systems at 13 flyovers and grade separators at a cost of Rs 33 crore. The proposal to include the Napier bridge is an extension of the dynamic lighting of flyovers project,” the official said.

The official added that the dynamic lights at Napier Bridge and other flyovers would be lit for four hours on important days including Independence Day and Republic day. All the flyovers maintained by the civic body have been selected for the project.

The dynamic lightings would be installed in addition to streetlights on the bridges. Colouring lights will be installed on the side of the bridges and during the night hours, the bridges will be lit. These lights will be controlled centrally, the official said.

The officials are expecting that the dynamic lighting arrangement, apart from increasing the aesthetic feature of the bridges would also prevent untoward incidents on the bridges.

Apart from the flyovers and grade separators, the civic body also decided to provide dynamic lightings at pedestrian subways Rajaji Salai Subway, Jamaliah Subway, Perambur Subway, Ezhilagam Subway and Kamarajar Salai Subway – all maintained by the civic body. As many as 16 vehicle subways, including Nungambakkam Subway, Duraisamy Subway, Madley Subway and Aranganathan Subway, would also be provided with dynamic lighting systems.

In another move to beautify city bridges, the civic body has a proposal to create vertical gardens to control pollution at a cost of Rs 8 crore. “The project will be completed at all the selected flyovers, subways and Napier bridge in six months,” the official said.

Napier Bridge is one of the city’s oldest bridges, which was constructed in 1869 to connect Fort St. George and Marina Beach.