Work Begins on the New El Paso Star on the Mountain – Here’s When It Will Light Up the Night Again

The Star on the Mountain has been a daily part of our evening skyline since April 1993.

But if you've looked towards the Franklins at night recently, you may have noticed the star has gone dark. And this time it’s not because of high winds or vandals.

The El Paso Chamber, which is in charge of the maintenance and upkeep of the iconic landmark, turned the light fixture off in mid-September in order to modernize it.

When it’s all said and done, the bulbs on the star will have been replaced with an energy efficient and technologically advanced lighting system.

What’s Coming

El Paso Inc. reports work on new Star has already begun, and that the first strands of the new lighting system have already gone up.

The new lights, which took several years to design and construct, will be able to shine brightly in more colors than has been previously possible. And because it will be controlled remotely from the El Paso Chamber office, will no longer require workers to trek up to the top of the mountain to make the changes manually.

The new modules can also be programmed to create effects much like what Christmas lights displays can be made to do.

How Much Longer Will the Star Remain Dark?

Because the upgrade also includes reinforcement of the steel poles that support the strands of lights, work will continue into November.

An exact date hasn’t been determined or announced yet, but according to El Paso Inc., the Chamber expects to light up the night again by the end of November.