The Davenport Skybridge is shining brighter this holiday season, thanks to a recently completed $408,000 project to upgrade the lights on the downtown structure.
The new light display features more intense colors and programmable light shows, according to information from the City of Davenport.
The upgrades are part of the Destination Iowa grant package that funded the city’s Main Street Landing project – a 10-acre riverfront park currently under construction. (The $27 million Main Street Landing is scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2026.)
City leaders said the new lights complement the Figge Art Museum building, which is wrapped in a new light installation called Evanescent Field.
“Upgrading the Skybridge lighting is an investment in our community’s experience on the riverfront,” Clay Merritt, the city’s director of engineering and capital projects, said in a news release Wednesday, Dec. 17. “These new displays help connect Main Street Landing, the Figge and our downtown in a way that is vibrant and uniquely Davenport.”
Last year, the Davenport City Council approved a $408,000 contract with the Crawford Company to replace the 20-year-old lighting system on the structure.
Now, visitors to the Davenport Skybridge will step into the new lighting experience from the moment they get off the elevator. Lighting used to be focused solely inside the bridge. Now, the light show extends from the elevator on the north end to the south tower.
The light shows are scheduled to follow the National Weather Service’s daily sunrise and sunset times. The colored light display will begin 30 minutes before sunset and transition to soft white 30 minutes after sunset. They will remain all white during the daylight hours, as the colors are often not visible during the day hours.
Daily light shows
City leaders said there is a standard daily light show that will play routinely. Also, there will be holiday-themed light shows that rotate with the seasons. The current holiday light show will run through Jan. 3. The next holiday light display will feature reds and pinks for Valentine’s Day.
The Skybridge was constructed in 2005 as part of the River Renaissance Redevelopment Plan for Downtown Davenport. Located 50 feet in the air, the walkway provides panoramic views of where the river bends uniquely from east to west. It is a symbol celebrating Davenport’s river heritage. The skybridge also serves to provide a safe and important connection across busy River Drive and the railroad tracks, bringing downtown Davenport together with the riverfront, according to information from the City of Davenport.
