KCI was tasked with providing turn-key engineering design and construction services to replace aging decorative lighted archways along 7th Avenue in Ybor City, Florida.
7th Avenue serves as the main thoroughfare through the vibrant heart of historic Ybor City, which has earned a National Historic Landmark District designation from the National Park Service. To commemorate the city’s centennial anniversary, temporary decorative lighted archways were fabricated by a local artist and displayed along the roadway. These temporary archways remained for nearly 30 years and, having fallen into a state of disrepair and suspended between poles that were nearly 100 years old, were in desperate need of replacement.
Our team was approached by Tampa Electric to perform survey, SUE and drafting services, which later became a request for a fully engineered and constructed solution that maintained the unique architectural features of the existing archways. The scope of construction included the installation of 21 decorative lighted archways with crushed rock foundations as well as 33 new light poles, all of which used 35’ ductile iron poles that have a matte black protective coating. The newly installed archways are suspended between two ductile iron poles by a steel cable. The archways are made of aluminum and are powder coated black for durability. 25 decorative archways were removed along with numerous old, deteriorated light poles and over a mile of secondary conductor.
The project was completed ahead of schedule and will maintain the historic aesthetic of Ybor City’s 7th Avenue for generations to come.
