Dunlap letter: 8th Street Bridge
An article by Anna Webb in the Idaho Statesman, Oct. 24, describes the plan to add white or colored LED lighting to the historic 8th Street Railway Bridge. I am a frequent user of this bridge and much appreciate its present unimproved, stately and historic state. I carefully reviewed the picture in the article showing one proposal for the added “light show” and found it gaudy and ridiculous; transforming the current setting from one of serene historicity to a garish carnival of unneeded light. According to the article the lights are intended to “… show off the bridge’s structure.” They certainly will illuminate the structure, but the utilitarian grace inherent in the historic red bridge will be overwhelmed rather than shown off.
I encourage the Boise City Department of Arts and History to please leave the 8th Street Bridge alone and find some other site to “improve” in this manner.
Steve Dunlap, Boise
This story was originally published November 14, 2017 at 5:02 PM with the headline "Dunlap letter: 8th Street Bridge."