Why is the Cuomo Bridge that color tonight?

Yes, you can cross that bridge when you come to it, but what color will the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge be when you get there?

The 3.6-mile-long twin span between Rockland and Westchester can bathe its towers, piers and cables in an infinite combination of colors, all of which makes for a dramatic look from the shore and when driving through the tuning-fork superstructure. It also makes for a touch of suspense: What color will it be, and why?

Here some things you might not know about the programmable lights on the Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge, including that this is one bridge that plays requests.

How many lights are there on the Cuomo Bridge?

There are nearly 2,700 LED lighting fixtures on the bridge, shining down the piers to the Hudson, up from the pier foundations, up the massive cables, up the 419-foot towers, and lighting the roadway. There are more than 1,500 fixtures on what is called the "main span" comprising the towers and cables.

Which days are celebrated?

The bridge has 41 holidays, events or commemorations on its calendar. (Yes, the bridge has its own calendar, at https://mariomcuomobridge.ny.gov/lighting.)

From New Year’s Day to New Year’s Eve (both included), the bridge lights honor Lincoln and Washington and Martin Luther King Jr., St. Valentine and St. Patrick. The start of winter, spring, summer and fall. For Memorial Day, Independence Day and Labor Day. For Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. Pearl Harbor and 9/11. Thanksgiving. The Hindu festivals of Holi and Diwali. Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana. Passover and Good Friday. Easter and Orthodox Easter. Christmas and Kwanzaa. And more.

What are the holiday colors on the bridge?

There are roughly 50 pre-programmed lighting “scenes” in regular rotation, from patriotic red-white-and-blue to a glowing orange for religious holidays. There's green for St. Patrick's Day and red for Valentine's Day. And red and green for Christmas. And a shimmering sort of champagne color for New Year's Eve.

How long are the special lights on display?

The light displays kick off just before sunset and last till midnight or slightly thereafter.

If it's not a holiday, why is the Cuomo Bridge lit up in special lights?

There are 50 or so other days — beyond the 41 holidays or commemorations — when the bridge becomes a bridge of another color to honor events or occasions in the Hudson Valley. The bridge turns red and white for the Tarrytown and Nyack high school graduations, green and white for Irvington’s graduations. And the bridge celebrates victories. When the Pace University women’s lacrosse team won the national championship, the bridge was lit in blue and gold. When Tappan Zee High School’s boys basketball team and its gymnast Carly Sardo were state champs, the bridge was lit in red and white.

Are there other reasons the bridge is lit up?

Sometimes, the bridge takes on a charity's or nonprofit's cause, giving a shoutout to raise awareness. Those can include national causes or those closer to the Hudson Valley, such as Feeding Westchester, Volunteer New York!, Rockland’s Center for Safety and Change, NAMI Westchester (mental health), to name just a few. In that way, the Thruway becomes a cause way.

How can I learn why the Cuomo bridge is lit a certain color?

The Gov. Mario M. Cuomo Bridge has its own account on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter — at https://twitter.com/GMMCB — where it notes the holiday lights display or boosts the signal of a nonprofit to raise awareness of its cause. If you're not sure why the bridge is a certain color, that's where you'll find the answer.

If it's not a holiday, is there a "default" lighting plan for the bridge?

The default lighting plot bathes the bridge in white light.

What about light pollution?

The Cuomo Bridge goes "dark" one day a year, on Earth Day each April, dimming its tower, cable and pier "aesthetic" lights, leaving only the roadway's lights illuminated.

Am I imagining it, or do the bridge lights shimmer and move?

The lights can be programmed to make subtle changes in intensity over the course of a night, making a red-white-and-blue bridge appear to flutter like a flag.

Can I make a lighting request?

Believe it or not, this bridge takes requests, but don't expect to get your kid's bar mitzvah memorialized in lights. You can fill out a form at https://mariomcuomobridge.ny.gov/lighting-form and make your pitch. You'll choose from among 10 colors, and differentiate between eastbound and westbound colors. Some birthdays or anniversaries — for those who've made an outsized contribution to the Hudson Valley community — will be considered, but those are rare. Political campaigns and corporations won't get the bridge lit for them, but local nonprofits, towns and schools will get special consideration. The Thruway Authority, which owns the bridge, has final say on lighting requests.

Reach Peter D. Kramer at pkramer@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Cuomo Bridge lights: Did you know the bridge plays requests?