Monday night, April 3, 2023 the Ben Franklin Bridge received a much needed cosmetic makeover. Philadelphians gazed in delight as the bridge lit up the Philly skyline with the reveal of its new LED lighting system. It was the first time the Ben Franklin received a lighting upgrade of this magnitude since the original lighting system was installed in 1987. Indeed in 2000, the bridge did receive a small upgrade. Nevertheless, Monday’s reveal was well overdue.
The Benjamin Franklin Bridge, originally named the Delaware River Bridge, is a suspension bridge across the Delaware River connecting Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Camden, New Jersey.
A Much Needed Investment
The reveal of the dazzling lights is apart of a larger project, a $214 million dollar rehabilitation project that is currently underway for the bridge. The lighting system cost $8 million out of the total project budget. However, the investment into the Ben Franklin Bridge was much needed, after all, the bridge itself is an icon.
Delaware River Port Authority CEO John Hanson highlighted just how important the Ben Franklin Bridge is to our city: “If there’s a movie, TV show, an ad, even TV news backdrops, they all feature the Ben Franklin Bridge,” Hanson said before turning the lights on from Cooper Poynt Park in Camden. “Tonight, with the work that we’re doing, we’ve made it even more beautiful and even more iconic.”
The Brightness of The Ben
The Ben Franklin Bridge has decorated the Delaware River for over 35 years with colors to coordinate holidays, special events and sports. The new energy-efficient lights include a range of effects like a “chasing rainbow” pattern that will follow PATCO train cars as they cross the bridge. The new energy-efficient LED system, will continue to carry on the brightness of the Ben along the Delaware River as it lights up the city and the people in it.
