Stretching across the Delaware River, the Benjamin Franklin Bridge is one of Philadelphia and Camden’s most recognizable landmarks. A defining element of the city’s skyline and a vital community connection between Pennsylvania and New Jersey. As part of a $216.9 million rehabilitation project, this historic suspension bridge has been reimagined to shine brighter than ever while ensuring its legacy continues for years to come.
“The Ben Franklin Bridge has always been more than steel and cables, it is a symbol of connection,” says Michael P. Venuto, Chief Engineer of the Delaware River Port Authority (DRPA), who owns and operates the span, “This project honors that legacy. By modernizing the lighting system, we are not only enhancing safety and sustainability, we are celebrating the shared spirit of the region and ensuring that the bridge continues to inspire future generations”.
Video by Elevated Angles
For more than 35 years, the bridge’s lighting system has illuminated the skyline. The new lighting design, developed by The Lighting Practice (TLP) in collaboration with Urban Engineers, modernizes that legacy through a thoughtful blend of preservation, innovation, and community impact.
The Lighting Practice designed a lighting solution that offered ease of maintenance, longer lifespans, and greater energy efficiency. The original design illuminated the bridge’s vertical suspender cables using spotlights from below and reflectors above, with LED lights later added along the deck to create dynamic effects, including the “chasing train” sequence that follows PATCO trains as they crossed the span.
Video by Elevated Angles
The updated design honors these signature features while improving performance, visibility, and sustainability. The Lighting Practice implemented a partially new and rehabilitated LED system that enhances reliability and longevity while maintaining the bridge’s iconic appearance.
Photo by Elevated Angles
Shielded lighting along the towers and pedestrian walkways reduces glare for drivers and ensures comfort for pedestrians, while the new uplight grazing approach on the bridge towers replaces traditional floodlighting to reveal the structure’s architectural details with greater precision. Lighting placement and programming were also carefully refined to maintain visual continuity across the bridge while minimizing light spill into surrounding neighborhoods.
“The lighting design required careful consideration of multiple user groups to ensure safety, functionality, and aesthetic balance,” says TLP Principal Jonathan Hoyle.
TLP considered the needs and experiences of several stakeholders, including motorists, PATCO train operators, the U.S. Coast Guard and pedestrians to ensure the design addressed every perspective. The lighting was refined to avoid distraction and preserve visibility for motorists. For PATCO operators, fixtures mounted beneath the tracks were carefully evaluated for glare and visual comfort. Considering the U.S. Coast Guard, the lighting was designed to maintain safe visibility for vessels navigating the river. For pedestrians, the lighting creates a sense of safety and visual comfort along the walkway.
Photo by Alyssa Chiampi
“Maintenance and safety were key considerations, ensuring that the lighting installation avoided creating tripping hazards or obstructing access,” says Senior Lighting Designer Chris Hallenbeck.
During the design phase, tests were conducted to assess how the lights would interact with pedestrians and motorists. DRPA also gathered feedback from PATCO train operators during construction to refine light levels and placement.
Beyond its technical achievements, the new lighting celebrates community and connection. The Ben Franklin Bridge symbolizes unity between two states and two cities, Camden, New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, brought together through shared history, collaboration, and identity. The new lighting highlights this unity, reinforcing how the bridge brings together two communities.
Photo by Alyssa Chiampi
“I love the subtle details, like the way the lights trace the trains,” says Jonathan. “The more you look, the more you notice. Because it’s such a massive structure, these layers of light give it new meaning and prominence”.
The revitalized design reveals previously unseen details and motion, allowing residents and visitors to experience the bridge in a new light. It transforms a familiar landmark into a renewed symbol of pride for the region.
“Flying into Philly at night and seeing the bridge lit up is always a special moment,” reflects Chris, “It’s the marker that I’m home. The bridge is such an easy point of connection with people in the region; everyone has a story tied to it”.
The Ben Franklin Bridge now stands not just as a connection between two cities, but as a beacon of shared identity, glowing across the Delaware River as it approaches its 100th year. It stands as a testament to thoughtful design, enduring legacy, and the power of light to bring communities together for the next century and beyond.
