![\"I-35](\"https:\/\/www2.baylor.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/06\/bridgelights-jun15.jpg\")
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Bridges are important to Waco.<\/p>\n
When the city’s\u00a0Suspension Bridge<\/a> was completed in 1870, it was the longest single-span suspension bridge west of the Mississippi River. For the next 15 years, it was an important part of the Chisholm Trail’s path through Texas as one of the only bridges to cross the mighty Brazos River. And it remains an important part of Waco’s identity, as both a gathering place and as a symbol of the city’s identity.<\/p>\n With the advent of I-35, the bulk of the traffic moved to\u00a0the highway’s bridge over the Brazos. Approximately 42 million drivers a year traverse the interstate through Waco past the Baylor campus and across\u00a0the river. When frontage road bridges<\/a> were added last year,\u00a0the community took the opportunity to add some flair to what could have otherwise been another boring road; the bridges’ art deco look complements a\u00a0hybrid design that mixes traditional girder and suspension bridges, throwing a nod toward Waco’s history.<\/p>\n This summer, the new bridges got another bonus: a programmable LED lighting system<\/a>, debuted during a city ceremony earlier this month. The 200 lighting fixtures and 800 lights can be turned any color and even varied in intensity, allowing for a dazzling show (mindful, of course, of possibly distracting drivers). So the lights\u00a0can be turned green and gold to celebrate a Baylor game day, or other colors to celebrate holidays and other community activities.<\/p>\n