Who funded the bridge lights?
The Stone Bridge Lighting Project, which debuted in 2011, was made possible by a community committee working with Heritage Johnstown (then known as the Johnstown Area Heritage Association, or JAHA). All money was privately raised – approximate amounts of cash and in-kind donations are listed below:
Who pays for the electricity and maintenance?
A fund has been established at the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies to cover monthly electric bills and light maintenance. All money used for this purpose is private – none of it comes from the City of Johnstown, taxpayers, or other public sources. You can help keep the lights on by donating!
Why are the lights on for only three hours per night?
For budget reasons! Although the lights are very high-efficiency LED lights, there is still a cost for electricity. The bridge is lighted three hours per night ordinarily, and as of early 2025 the monthly cost for electricity ranges from $175-250 (variation is possible because not all lighting designs use all the lights).
In early 2025 we experienced a programming hiccup that meant the bridge was on for several hours longer each evening, and our electricity bill more than doubled as a result.
We do light later on particular occasions when it is appropriate to do so — such as an event at Peoples Natural Gas Park or New Year’s Eve.
Why was only one side of the bridge lighted?
The committee chose to light the side of the bridge facing downtown for three reasons, of which #3 was the most important:
Who administers the bridge lights?
The bridge is owned by Norfolk Southern Railway, which is responsible for the maintenance of the structure itself. Heritage Johnstown administers the bridge lights and programs the bridge on a day-to-day basis. Dustin Greene of Top Dog Productions is an invaluable technical consultant and volunteer on the project, and donates the livecam feed. Mike Brosig is the chair of the original committee.
When is the bridge on?
This varies from 5:00-8:00 pm at the darkest time of the year to 8:30-11:30 pm when days are at their longest. You can check this website to see the current lighting schedule! Please note that sometimes the bridge computer slides a few minutes early – we reset this from time to time, but if you are making a special trip to see the lights, please plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before the lights are scheduled to turn off.
How are the bridge lighting colors chosen?
Heritage Johnstown’s programming goal is to be inclusive, meaningful, and fun. It’s possible to rent the lights, and it’s possible to suggest lighting colors for a specific observance. You can keep up with what color the lights will be on the bridge’s Facebook Page, which is also accessible from the home page of this minisite. More about our lighting policy, as well as how to suggest a color scheme for a specific observance or rent the lights, at the page linked below.
More about suggesting bridge colors or renting the lights
There are literally hundreds of health observances and other lighting occasions. While we do our best to light for as many as we can, we ask your patience and understanding if we miss an observance that’s important to you — such omissions are never intentional! To prevent possible disappointment, please get in touch in advance about such observances at the link above, and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
How can I see the bridge lights if I’m not local?
You’re in luck. Our bridge camera has been made possible through the Community Foundation for the Alleghenies through the Robert Waters Charitable Trust; John Polacek, Bill Polacek, and Tom Polacek; Laurel Holdings, Inc.; and In-shore Technologies, Inc. Through the efforts of Top Dog Productions, in 2022 the live bridgecam feed debuted on YouTube.
