The city is no longer pursuing a plan for a $4,050,000 light show on the Walnut Street Bridge.
Dennis Malone, assistant city engineer, told City Council members on Tuesday, "We have moved away from that project."
The council had earlier pulled capital funding that had been proposed for the "Ripples of Light" on the historic "walking bridge" that dates to 1891.
“Ripples of Light" by Moment Factory had been described as "an architectural and data responsive lighting design that responds to pedestrian activity on the bridge and the flow of the TN River below the bridge to create subtle color variations and ripples of light. Artistic lighting design elements include: pier grazers, heart wash lighting, pendant lighting, beacon fixtures, entrance lighting, interior vertical grazers, exterior vertical grazers and edge grazers to highlight the historic architecture of the bridge. The artistic lighting project includes expenses related to the artistic lighting fixtures and their installation, smart data, prototyping, creative services, technical services and fees."
Residents living near the bridge had come out in opposition to the idea.
Council members brought up the issue on Tuesday in connection with a change order increase of $188,000 for work on the Walnut Street Bridge.
Mr. Malone said that pertains to electrical work that is part of a several-phase $15 million overhaul of the bridge.
He said it was learned that electrical systems installed on the bridge during a 1990 renovation are "out of date and out of code."
That wiring will be replaced during ongoing work on the bridge, he said.
Mr. Malone also said that lighting on the bridge will continue to look much as it does now, but he said the existing lights will be replaced with more efficient LED lights.
At the start of the discussion, Councilman Darrin Ledford asked, "We're not talking about the flashing lights, are we?"
Mr. Malone assured him they were not.