Illuminated Napier Bridge is Chennai’s latest selfie spot – Times of India

CHENNAI: Napier bridge, one of the city’s oldest and iconic structures, is now a selfie spot at night.
The bridge has been lit up at night as part of the Chennai corporation’s efforts to install dynamic lighting at bridges and flyovers in the city.
On most nights and weekends, several cars and two wheelers can be seen parked on the bridge, with several families jostling for space near the bridge to click pictures.
Civic body authorities say that the crowd was expected when they came up with the dynamic lighting project. The image makeover has seen dynamic lighting on flyovers, grade separators, Rail Over Bridges (ROBs) and subways across the city.
“In major cities across the world, bridges are seen as icons, such as the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Napier bridge is already one such structure in Chennai. The dynamic lighting seems to have added to its aesthetics,” said an engineer with the bridges department of the corporation.
While the lighting has been in place since the beginning of this year, consistent lockdowns and the closure of Marina beach for the public meant a large part of the city’s populace was not aware of the lighting project on the bridge.
“I was not aware of the lighting at the bridge. When I visited the beach recently with my family and was driving back home, we stopped by the bridge to click selfies,” said J Kaushik, a resident of Velachery.
While the lighting at the bridge sure attracts visitors, incidences of people slipping into the Cooum river while taking photographs have also been recorded. About three weeks ago, on August 10, a casual labourer from Periamet fell into the river while taking a selfie from the parapet wall. He had an anxious wait in neck deep sludge for about eight hours before he was rescued.
Police said that they have to ask people to disperse during late hours due to safety concerns.