The Salford Quays Millennium Lift Bridge, designed by Carlos Mendes Casado, spans 91.2 m (300 ft) across the Manchester Ship Canal in Salford, England, UK. The Millennium Bridge, also known as the Lowry Bridge, provides pedestrians with access to the Lowry Center on the north bank of the canal. It was engineered to lift over 18 m (60 ft) vertically, in order to accommodate large watercraft passing underneath. This distinctive bridge is featured as the backdrop of the BBC North West Tonight TV news show.
In 2011, Salford City Council selected LITE Ltd. to devise a unique wireless lighting solution that would make it possible to illuminate the moving bridge. LITE Ltd. partnered with Color Kinetics to design a comprehensive LED lighting solution that would fit the requirements and introduce color-changing options to the riverside.
LITE Ltd. commissioned the construction of custom-made stands, which were mounted onto each of the four corners at the base of the bridge. Two ColorReach Powercore luminaires (now specified with
ReachElite) and one ColorBlast Powercore luminaire were then affixed to each stand and positioned to uplight the bridge. As the luminaires on either side of the bridge could not be connected electronically over the water, a wireless control system was necessary to synchronize the lighting across the bridge.
Because Color Kinetics products can integrate easily with third-party devices, LITE Ltd. was able to install a LumenRadio wireless transmitter on one side of the bridge and a second LumenRadio wireless receiver on the other side. This enables a DMX signal to be wirelessly transmitted over the water from one side of the bridge to the other, allowing simultaneous control of luminaires on either side of the bridge using an iPlayer 3 controller. Salford City Council can now choose from millions of saturated colors to illuminate the Millennium Bridge and reflect onto the picturesque riverside.
