A team of city workers have been busy on Calgary’s Peace Bridge since Monday, working to refit the lighting on the pedestrian walkway to ensure the bulbs can handle the winter.
The city is switching all the lights on the bridge to LEDs and says the different format will help the bulbs last longer and save on energy costs.
Officials also add that the swap is sorely needed because the bulbs in the original design were rated for indoor use only and are now burning out.
As a result, all 300 fixtures will need to be replaced ahead of the cold winter temperatures and it will cost taxpayers $700,000.
The project comes as the city revealed it needed to pay $152,000 to repair the bridge after vandals broke a number of the glass panels.
The city is also spending $400,000 on a crosswalk on Memorial Drive to cut down on people jaywalking to access the bridge.
Calgarians say they are surprised to hear about the need to replace the bulbs, but are glad the city is doing something to fix the issue even though it is costly.
“Obviously, it’s an outdoor structure,” said one man. “You would think they’ve have got that one right but on the flip side, I’m glad they figured it out and they’re doing it now.”
Crews are replacing both the overhead and in-floor lighting on the bridge.
The work is expected to last about a month.
