The George Washington Bridge is getting a nightly glow-up. For the first time in its nearly 100 years, the bridge’s twin towers will shine every evening after the Port Authority wrapped a major relamping project that swapped in energy-efficient LED fixtures. The new system will light the towers from dusk until 10 p.m., turning them into a regular nighttime landmark for Washington Heights and Fort Lee while cutting energy and maintenance costs. The agency flipped the switch on Monday during America250/Sail4th waterfront festivities on the Hudson.
Port Authority Says the Change Is Permanent and Energy-Saving
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has finished installing a new LED lighting system on the bridge’s towers, and the fixtures are set to illuminate the structures nightly from dusk until 10 p.m., according to The Maritime Executive. The relamping replaced nearly 800 traditional bulbs with LEDs and is expected to trim energy and operating costs by about 40 percent. Officials say the work is part of the broader Restoring the George rehabilitation program, which aims to modernize the 94-year-old span for its next century of service.
Work Has Been Underway for Months
Local reporting earlier this year described the relamping as a yearlong initiative and noted that temporary illuminations were used over the winter holidays while crews finished installations, according to NorthJersey.com. The lighting overhaul is tied to other ongoing projects, such as suspender rope replacements and roadway repairs, that officials say are needed to keep the bridge operating safely into its next century.
What New Yorkers Should Expect
New York City Comptroller Mark D. Levine highlighted the change in a post on X, noting that the towers will now be lit nightly following the Port Authority’s LED installation, per X. Neighbors along the Hudson and drivers crossing the span can expect the towers to shine each evening through the summer with a 10 p.m. cutoff. The Port Authority says the new system also supports special-color lighting programs for holidays and awareness campaigns. For now, officials are pitching the project as both a boost to the skyline and a practical way to cut maintenance and energy costs on one of the region’s most iconic pieces of infrastructure.
