A controversial new blue lighting scheme for Southampton’s iconic Itchen Bridge will be switched on tonight.

The landmark 1970s bridge will turned into a beacon as it is bathed in pale blue light.

The lighting scheme is part of a massive £1m-plus overhaul of the 62,000-tonne bridge which has seen street lights replaced with 34 new white-light columns that also emit blue LED background light.

The lighting is being installed as part of a £28.5m contract with Southern Electric Contracting to replace around half the road signs, bollards and orange street lamps in Southampton.

City artists called for the drab grey bridge to be transformed into various different forms of colour, light and moving art in a bid to rival the appeal of the Brooklyn Bridge in Manhattan, Humber Bridge in Hull and Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland.