Bridges and Outdoor Lighting

Abstract

Northeast Utilities, the electric power distributor for Connecticut, has devised a plan to light the Arrigoni Bridge across the Connecticut River at Middletown. This paper descibes the plan and its impact on the surrounding region. The floodlights will affect migratory birds, and teaching and research at the nearby Van Vleck Observatory on Wesleyan Campus. Examples of bridges at other sites are also discussed, including the suspension spans of New York and San Francisco, that bear only tracer lights, or no lights at all.