BAY BRIDGE (KRON) — Fans of the lights installation that has adorned the San Francisco end of the Bay Bridge can expect to see the span illuminated well into the next decade, under a new maintenance contract approved Wednesday.
The Bay Area Toll Authority approved a 10-year, $2.1 million contract for Philips Lighting North America Corporation to maintain the Bay Lights installation once it returns as a permanent fixture set for next year.
The 25,000 lights were first installed in 2013 as part of the Bay Bridge 75th anniversary celebration. They turn on and off in patterns as programmed by artist Leo Villareal, invoking abstract images and patterns.
The lights quickly became a fixture of the San Francisco waterfront, and late last year Caltrans and the Toll Authority agreed to take over the installation and make it permanent.
In preparation for the permanent installation, the lights were shut down in March. The nonprofit group that initially raised the funding for the installation, Illuminate the Arts, is working with Caltrans on installing more durable infrastructure.
The Bay Lights are expected to light up the bridge again early next year, just in time for the February 2016 Super Bowl which will be hosted by the Bay Area.