(December 17, 2025) A project to upgrade the lighting system on the Davenport Skybridge is complete, just in time for the holiday season. Light displays now extend end-to-end on the bridge, featuring more intense colors and programmable light shows.
The new lighting is part of the Destination Iowa grant package that funded Main Street Landing, a 10-acre riverfront park currently under construction. With the new light shows, the Skybridge complements the Figge Art Museum, which is fully wrapped in a new light installation called “Evanescent Field.” The Davenport City Council awarded a contract worth $408,000 to Crawford Company to complete the Skybridge work.
“Upgrading the Skybridge lighting is an investment in our community’s experience on the riverfront,” said Clay Merritt, Director of Engineering and Capital Projects. “These new displays help connect Main Street Landing, the Figge, and our downtown in a way that is vibrant, welcoming, and uniquely Davenport.”
Visitors to the Skybridge will step into the new lighting experience from the moment they get off the elevator. Lighting used to be focused solely inside the bridge, but now the show extends from the elevator on the North end down to the South tower. The light shows are scheduled to follow the National Weather Service’s daily sunrise and sunset times. The colored light display will begin 30 minutes before sunset and transition to soft white 30 minutes after sunrise. The lights will remain all white during daylight hours, as the colors are not as visible.
There is a standard daily show that will play routinely, and holiday-themed shows that will rotate with the seasons. The holiday show will run through January 3, 2026. The next holiday show will feature reds and pinks for Valentine’s Day.
