A central part of Auckland's cityscape is set to get a major facelift.
Auckland Council and electricity company Vector have joined forces to give the Harbour Bridge a $10 million renovation that will see it lit up in every colour, come nightfall.
The bridge is set to be fitted with 90,000 LED lights and 200 floodlights - and the whole lot will be powered by solar energy.
The Harbour Bridge will be fitted with 630 solar panels, which will make it the first bridge in the world to be fully lit using solar power stored in batteries, according to the council.
The council says the electricity produced by the solar panels would be enough to power 200 homes for two hours - and any excess energy not used on the bridge lights will instead provide power to Auckland's Wynyard Quarter.
"The Harbour Bridge is an icon of Auckland. Lighting it up will make the city at night a more interesting and vibrant sight," Auckland Mayor Phil Goff said.
"Powered by solar energy, it will also reflect our commitment as a city to energy efficiency, sustainability and low carbon emissions."
The project is one of the first phases of a decade-long partnership between the council and Vector, a collaboration Mr Goff says will make Auckland "a more interesting and better place to live".
The installation of the lights is expected to take "several months" to complete, according to the council - and it says a special event marking the first night the bridge is lit up will be planned in due course.
Meanwhile, the New Zealand Transport Agency has revealed that it has a Harbour Bridge lighting project of its own. The organisation says it will replace existing road lights with energy efficient LED bulbs by then end of 2018.
Newshub.
