Minnesota celebrates the big game with LED light show

The recently completed upgrade to a connected LED lighting system allows the 1,907tt (600m) I-35W Bridge to put on special light shows tailored to themes of specific holidays, important civic causes, and special events. The iconic bridge is a vital link for commuters and truck freight across the Mississippi River and into Minneapolis.

Throughout the festivity-filled weekend, specially designed and programmed light shows will be on display to celebrate key moments around the big game such as:

• 'Bold North' Lights - a light show that mimics the natural wonder of the Aurora Borealis. It celebrates Minnesota as the host state of the big game and that it is one of the few areas in the contiguous United States where visitors can experience the Northern Lights.
• Animated blue and red, as well as green and silver LED lights will represent the two competing teams vying for the big win. Beginning at opposite ends of the bridge, the colors will gradually move toward the middle, until they collide, symbolising Sunday's big game match-up. 
• A spectacular display of red, white and blue LED lights will commemorate traditions of the championship game such as the anthems 'America the Beautiful' and the 'Star Spangled Banner.'
• A bright red LED light display will signify that one of the teams has entered the 'red zone' by crossing the 20-yard line of the opposing team and is on the verge of scoring. When a team scores, the lights will change to that team's colours.

"The revitalisation of the I-35W Bridge lighting system is a great story for the State of Minnesota," commented John Pedersen, Lighting Operations Supervisor for the Minnesota Department of Transportation. "The light shows created by the new LED lighting system confirm the bridge as an icon in the city skyline and a source of pride for the entire region."

The connected LED lighting system supplied by Philips Lighting uses Philips ActiveSite, a cloud-based lighting management system that provides remote monitoring, control and maintenance. This enables lights to be programmed remotely and supports operational efficiency. Reporting tools including historical analysis also provide unprecedented insight into system operations, which authorised system managers from the MN DOT can use to evaluate and optimise performance.

"LED lighting is having a transformative effect on cities that reaches far beyond the purpose of simply providing light. Public lighting installations like the I-35 Bridge contribute to the socioeconomic prosperity of a region, its local businesses and citizens. The light shows planned around the final game represent a unique opportunity for Minnesota to help capture the imagination of more than 100,000,000 people from around the world" said Roger Karner, Head of Market US at Philips Lighting.

The architectural connected lighting installation also includes more than 650 Philips Color Kinetics outdoor lighting fixtures, including the Philips ColorGraze MX4 Powercore, Philips ColorBlast Powercore gen4, and Philips ColorReach Powercore gen2. These fixtures have been specially designed to meet the extreme vibration, temperature and corrosive environment the bridge is exposed to.

The connected luminaires offer an expanded palette with millions of intensely saturated colours or finely tuned pastels and hues in a variety of beam angles to accentuate the design and multiple facets of the bridge. These capabilities allow the LED lights to produce hundreds of possible configurations and light distribution patterns, from static displays to dynamic colour light shows to capture the imagination of local residents and inspire millions of visitors.