The General Building Contractors Association has recognized the Trenton Makes LED sign upgrade in Trenton, New Jersey, with its Best Electrical Construction Project of the Year award.
Dewberry worked closely with a Philadelphia-based lighting design expert, The Lighting Practice, to develop a concept study, final design, and bid documents for the upgrade of the electric sign for the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission (DRJTBC). The team also provided a review of the as-built drawings, a field review of the sign letters, concepts to upgrade the lighting elements from neon tubes to color changeable LED strip lighting elements, and the replacement design of the power supply and lighting components. Those components include LEDs, transformers, and programming controls.
Dewberry provided project management, electrical engineering, traffic control plans, bid document preparation, and construction consultation services. ACT Engineers led the community outreach program to inform local officials and business groups of the planned sign improvements, while Carr & Duff served as the general contractor for the upgrade.
The sign is affixed to the DRJTBC’s Lower Trenton Toll-Supported Bridge, a five-span subdivided Warren Truss that was erected in 1928. Originally developed in 1911, the electrified slogan was added to the current bridge in 1935, replaced in 1981, and replaced again in 2005. It’s one of the most notable landmarks in the city of Trenton.
