Bridge makeover graces downtown
By Dan Andrews
andrewsd@knoxfocus.com
A year ago, the Henley Street Pedestrian Bridge was a dilapidated eyesore that greeted people as they drove off the interstate to enter downtown Knoxville. To change that, the City of Knoxville and the Public Building Authority began the project to turn the pedestrian bridge into a modern day technical work of art.
The bridge now has an advanced all-electronic multi-color LED lighting system with over 100 different design options that can be changed for any holiday or event at the preference of the City. Currently, the display shows a beautiful landscape of the Smokies. The visually stunning displays can be easily changed by city officials. To install the system, the city had to rely on some of the nation’s top experts in the field of “LED streetscaping.”
Many complex problems arose during the installation. With the project way behind schedule due to many unforeseen circumstances, Broadway Electric Services Corporation, a local electrical service company, was brought in from the outside to complete the job. George Bove, a public liaison manager for BESCO, invited The Knoxville Focus to witness the installation of the lighting.
The lighting was installed in slightly over a two-week period.
Justin Wojciechowski, BESCO division manager, spoke with The Focus about why this project was so special for his company. “This is something that whenever one of our employees gets off the interstate they can turn to their family or friends and proudly say ‘we did that project’.”
