LIGHT IT UP!
- THE MURRAY BAKER BRIDGE
Countdown to Construction
A Visual Asset to our Region.
To make great progress in the Heart of Illinois by creating a vibrant downtown area. This new visual display will play as the backdrop to our cities and stand out in the night sky, further cementing the Murray Baker Bridge as an iconic structure in our region.
This project is a community effort and will be updated as progress is made.
Who We Are
1,000 Pounds Project
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1,000 Pounds Project: The 1000# Project was created by State Senator Chuck Weaver to give back to the community while growing young leaders. Five diverse groups of Peoria’s finest young leaders will address five different problems or take advantage of five different opportunities to improve our community by applying 1000# of effort to get 1,000,000# of results.
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The 1,000# Project Team to Light Up the Murray Baker Bridge consists of the following young professionals:
Mission: To light the Murray Baker (I-74) Bridge spanning from Peoria to East Peoria, IL using state-of-the-art full spectrum LED lights and to create a sustainability strategy that ensures the success of the project while establishing a revenue source that addresses the beautification needs of our region.
Vision: To make great progress in the Heart of Illinois by creating a vibrant downtown area. This new visual display will play as the backdrop to our cities and stand out in the night sky, further cementing the Murray Baker Bridge as an iconic structure in our region.
We urge the City of Peoria, City of East Peoria, IDOT, Peoria and Tazewell Counties along with all other stakeholders currently connected with the Murray Baker (74) bridge project to think proactively and take the lighting system to the next level. By lighting the bridge in a cloud-based lighting system it will transform the Murray Baker Bridge into a massive canvas with remotely programmed, tunable lights which can produce dynamic or subtle, colorful effects with the ability to reflect special occasions such as holidays, events or local sports team wins.
ASHLEY SCHRECK
Team Leader
EP!C
STEVE GATTON
Cullinan Properties
ELLEN ADAMS
Farnsworth Group
MATT WEBER
Ajinomoto Foods North America
HISTORY
HISTORY
The Murray Baker Bridge has been an iconic landmark for our region since it opened to traffic on December 12, 1958. It’s named after Murray M. Baker, a former Vice President with Caterpillar and without it our Region may have looked much different because the interstate helps drive our economy.
Decorative lights first twinkled on the Murray Baker Bridge on July 4, 1991. Much of the credit goes to Mr. Leonard Marshall, a banker, Jim Rochford, an attorney, and D. James Jumer, a business owner, who had big dreams of riverfront development. With the help of the community and the assistance of the Community Foundation a $150,000 fundraising campaign commenced “selling” lights for $250 each. It was is said to have been the first decoratively lit interstate bridge in the country. The lighting system consisted of 156 lights that outlined the bridge’s peaks and valleys.
As of 2012 the lights have gone dark due to bulbs either breaking or burning out. A lot has changed in the technology of lights in that short time and we must work to ensure that this doesn’t happen again.
Sustainability
To ensure that the lighting system stays fully operational and the bridge does not go dark once more, a sustainability plan should be put in place.
By creating the opportunity for the public to request the lighting of the bridge for special occasions such as festivals, events or local sports teams it will generate a revenue source to offset the cost of operations and maintenance of the lighting system.
Special Lighting Requests
It is suggested that the Peoria Park District Festival staff manage the physical lighting of the bridge and the requests that come in for it. This is due to the number of current events happening on the Riverfront. Utilizing their operations is the most logical model.
We would hope that the Special Lighting Requests are so successful that there are monies left after all the expenses (maintenance and operations). It is suggested that any "extra" funds generated (after expenses) be granted back to the community in the form of beautification grants. Projects for the beautification of our area are generally underfunded and unfunded due to the sheer needs of our communities. However, beautification projects, even as simple as clean streets, are essential to creating a desired quality of life.
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*Cox Bridge - Lowell, MA
Generated Funds: Breakdown
*Big River Crossing Bridge - Memphis, TN & West Memphis, AR
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Maintenance
02
Operation
03
Utility Costs
04
Beautification Grants
Comparison Projects
It's not so scary when we have friends to help us along the way.
Midwest Living.com named the Murray Baker Bridge as one of the top 5 things to do in Peoria due to the fact that “it’s swooping shoulders [and] intricate metalwork...[bring in] photographers each year. Just imagine if it had a light display.
In order to bridge the gap in funding it’s going to take a community effort. We have proudly partnered with the Central Illinois Community Foundation to create and maintain a fund specifically for this endeavor. Donations will range in all sizes and come from all types of funders including individuals, families, corporations, organizations and foundations.
You can help “Flip the Switch” by making your contribution today!
Help Flip the Switch
Get Involved
All donations are tax-exempt to the full extent of the law and will be managed by The Peoria Innovation Alliance.
SUCCESS!
We are excited to announce that as of October 2019, IDOT announced the lighting of the bridge in its FY 2020-2025 Proposed Highway Improvement Program MYP with a budget of $3.5 Million being approved for Illinois Special Bridge Program funding.
Current closing of the Murray Baker Bridge from March 31st - October 2020
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