Some of you may remember how, back in 1993, the bridge was adorned with neon and lit for the first time in a static design by the late artist Rockne Krebs using neon and glass tubes at a time when even public art wasn't all that common much less the thought or notion of lighting bridges.
This catapulted the Texas Street bridge aka "The Neon Bridge" straight into icon-status and temporarily into history as a symbol of unity between the two cities of Shreveport - Bossier at a time when the casinos had yet to even arrive in the area and before the boardwalk was built.
Neon shines only as bright as the glass that contains it, and over time, the vibrations from heavy traffic snuffed out the lights and along with it, the original design.
Eventually, about 2014, the bridge went dark entirely after it was determined that there literally was no safe or easy way to restore it back to its former glory.
Even before the bridge went dark, there were people hard at work, searching for a way to relight the bridge.
Lessons learned from the first installation along with new innovation and technology meant that much sturdier LED lights would work well for the purpose, however money still was needed to make it happen.
Grants were written, donors came on board and the project began to take shape. Local artists and educators joined the project and this Tuesday night, the years of hard work and anticipation will be shared with locals across the area.
Along with the lighting of the new LED installation, the event will be memoralized with a group wedding ceremony at the bridge.
Just like the 1993 celebration, brides and grooms will gather in front of the bridge at Riverview Park, ready to tie the knot at this historic Shreveport/Bossier City moment.
The Texas Street Bridge is being lit in large part due to a $1M donation from Dr. and Mrs. George Bakowski that 13,000 LEDs will interactively illuminate 2,982 feet of what opened in 1934 as the Long/Allen Bridge.
The new interactive LED lighting heralds a transformational era of urban design pairing artists with technology experts to harness the power of artful lighting.
You will see the team working on overall longterm bridge project, meet area students who are in the process of learning to design shows for the bridge as well as enjoy food trucks, an arts market, music and MORE!
TONS of FREE entertainment, the debut of LED light shows designed by Broadway lighting designer Jason Lyons and local Oscar winner William Joyce as well as glow artistry of all sorts will be on hand to deLIGHT you as Shreveport Bossier joins together as we #LightItUp!
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