High Trestle Bridge

Measuring a half-mile long and towering 13 stories above the Des Moines River Valley in Central Iowa, the High Trestle Trail Bridge is one of the largest footbridges in the world. It also is one of the most visually stunning, thanks to iLight’s linear LED technology.

Part of a project to link the 25-mile High Trestle Trail with other trail systems running throughout the state, the bridge artfully pays homage to Iowa’s rich railroad and coal
mining history.

RDG Planning & Design was engaged to develop the artistic elements, conceptual design and lighting design related to the 41 steel frames over the bridge representing support cribs commonly seen in coal mines. Within the 18 frames located directly over the water, specially constructed channels house Plexineon Blue Series fixtures. Placed at strategic angles, the illuminated frames create the illusion of descending into a coal mine — or perhaps traveling through a time tunnel—while the lights emit a blue aura that suggests the water below.

• Location: Madrid, IA
• Lighting Designer: RDG Planning & Design
• Photographer: Kelly Green Photography
• Products: Plexineon Color