Have you ever wondered just what, exactly, that long perforated steel structure spanning the length of Interstate 670 near the Power and Light District is?
So have we. And now we know.
While most bridges are built to usher people, cars and trains between two points, this bridge, known as the Kansas City Power and Light Bridge, was created to safely move power across “the cut” without being too much of an eyesore.
The 165-foot-long rectangular structure hovering over the interstate is actually an electricity conduit that connects the Crossroads Arts District with the Power and Light Entertainment District, two of KC’s largest entertainment and arts hubs.
The bridge was designed by Helix Architecture and Design and is clad in “dark zinc metal panels that play on its length and make it appear like an important structure,” the designers say. The metal panels have round perforations of various sizes that are based on electrical sine waves, a nod to the actual power within. The bumped and dimpled indentations of the bridge structure occur at varying depths and represent a field of electrons through which electricity moves.
To add another layer of visual interest, at night, it is internally illuminated with a series of programmable LEDs running the length of the bridge. The internal blue pulsating light can be seen through the perforations, animating the bridge when the skies are dark and letting passersby know that it is alive with electricity.
The architects at Helix were inspired by the physics of electrical power and tried to represent it in various ways throughout the bridge’s structure. The bridge’s pieces were created and installed by KC-based Zahner.
The metal panels have round perforations of various sizes that are based on electrical sine waves, a nod to the actual power within.
