Poughkeepsie —Installation of the Walkway Over the Hudson’s new lighting and electrical system is nearly complete and contractors have begun testing the LED lights now lining the elevated New York State Park.
“We wanted to alert the public that the lights may be turned on for varying lengths of time over the coming weeks to test them,” said Walkway’s Executive Director Amy Husten. “This signals completion of the overall electrical installation project, which will activate a range of new features on the bridge, including security monitoring equipment and electrical outlets among other things.”
The electrical contract is being carried out by All Bright Electric of West Nyack which installed a specialized LED lighting system along the Walkway’s nearly 1.25-mile southern railing. The lights will illuminate the bridge while conserving electricity and reducing “light pollution,” allowing night time visitors to experience an unobstructed view of the night sky. Additionally, the project included the installation of security cameras that will provide high resolution, recorded video coverage along the entire length of the bridge.
For the time being, Ms. Husten explained, the lighting system will only be utilized for specified night time events that have received permits from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, which now operates the Walkway as a state park. Also, she said, the nonprofit group, Walkway Over the Hudson, is in the process of planning an event for this spring to unveil the newly installed lighting system.
Since opening to the public on October 3, 2009, more than 400,000 visitors have walked, biked, jogged, and roller-bladed across the Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park spanning the Hudson River between the City of Poughkeepsie and the Town of Lloyd.
