SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — After 10 years of illuminating the north side of the Bay Bridge’s western span, the Bay Bridge lights went out at 8 p.m. on Sunday night. The lights went dark on the 10-year anniversary of their original lighting.
Known officially as “The Bay Lights,” the iconic 1.8-mile art installation by artist Leo Villareal was lit on March 5, 2013 and went dark exactly 10 years later. You can watch the moment the lights went out in the video above.
Currently, Illuminate, the nonprofit that raised funds for the current installation, is looking to raise millions of dollars to bring the lights back in an expanded form with 50,000 LEDs. While the previous installation only lit one side of the bridge, the proposed new installation would light both sides and be visible from Oakland and Alameda.
There would also be lights on the interior of the bridge, providing an illuminated pathway for drivers on their way into the city. The proposed new light installation would be designed to weather the rough conditions of the San Francisco Bay, unlike the previous installation, which was burning out at a rate faster than lights could be replaced.