One System, Endless Color

Cities are increasingly recognizing that public lighting is more than infrastructure, it's an expression of community identity. Landmark lighting creates moments of shared pride, turning everyday structures into backdrops for celebration and connection. Olathe, Kansas has embraced this philosophy, making the illumination of its most visible landmarks a civic priority. Among them, the 159th Street bridge, a prominent crossway over Interstate 35 and a source of genuine local pride. Over time, the bridge's existing HID luminous poles began to fail, leaving the structure without the presence it deserved. Rather than undertaking a costly overhaul, the city sought a smarter solution: one that could breathe new life into the existing infrastructure while unlocking dynamic, color-changing capabilities for the community to enjoy for years to come.

The city aimed to transform the 159th and Lone Elm Bridge into a dynamic lighting landmark capable of celebrating holidays, local events, and sports teams with vibrant, programmable color. The city of Olathe envisioned a solution that would make the bridge a recognizable beacon along the I-35 corridor, reflecting the community's spirit and identity, no matter the occasion.

Color Kinetics Flex Compact RGB luminaires were selected for their custom capability and pixel control, making them ideally suited for this creative renovation. The renovation retrofit involved removing the existing poles for cleaning and fitting them with new lenses. Inside each pole, 42 Color Kinetics Flex Compact RGB nodes were mounted on a custom bracket, 21 nodes per side, spaced 3" on center and sitting 1.5" from the pole surface. A CM-150 power supply was installed at the base of each pole at the handhole. Control of the entire installation is handled by an iPlayer4 controller running Interact Landmark software, located at the Olathe city facilities maintenance building 4.6 miles away. Fiber was run out to traffic cabinets at the bridge, giving the city seamless remote control over every scene and color change without needing to be on site.

The result is a striking transformation that punches well above its weight. What was once a row of failing HID poles is now a fully programmable, pixel-controlled lighting feature capable of expressing the full spectrum of community life, from holiday displays to team colors on game day. The strategic, low-disruption renovation approach preserved the existing infrastructure while delivering a result that feels entirely new, cementing the 159th and Lone Elm Bridge as one of Olathe's most recognizable and celebrated landmarks.