The National Park Service recently released that it will shut down the Gateway Rach lights at night from September 17-30. The decision was made to help reduce the effects on nite-time migrating birds.
“The end of September is the peak migration period for birds migrating south for the winter,” says Frank Mares, deputy superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park. “In order to avoid the possible disorienting effect of the monument’s upward lighting on birds that migrate at night, the Gateway Arch’s exterior lights will be turned off for the last two weeks of September.”
The recently upgraded lighting systems will resume nightly October 1, at 7:00 p.m. Less than three dozen static xenon skylights with new custom lenses replaced 44 outdated light fixtures. The new system allows more light to be focused on the Arch itself. The number of fixtures has been reduced, but due to advances in technology, the upgraded fixtures provide increased light coverage of the Arch legs and energy efficiency.
Environmental Echo 