top of page

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. 

city of peoria.png
east peoria.png
peoria county.png
Tazewell_County_Illinois_seal-300x300.pn
idot.png
1000 # Logo.png

This project is a community effort and will be updated as progress is made. 

Home
Home: Who We Are
Light it Up - Major Lazer (feat. Nyla & Fuse ODG)
00:00

Who We Are

1,000 Pounds Project

​

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. 

​

 

Home: Team Members
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. 

 

 

1000 # Logo.png
Ashley.jpg

ASHLEY SCHRECK

Team Leader

EP!C

Steve.jpg

STEVE GATTON

Cullinan Properties

Ellen.jpg

ELLEN ADAMS

Farnsworth Group

Matt.jpg

MATT WEBER

Ajinomoto Foods North America

Light It Up
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.

Home: History

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. 

Home: Sustainability

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.  

  

 

​

service-map-768x656.png

*Cox Bridge - Lowell, MA

Home: Special Lighting Request

Generated Funds: Breakdown

*Big River Crossing Bridge - Memphis, TN  & West Memphis, AR

01

Maintenance

02

Operation

03

Utility Costs

04

Beautification Grants

Home: Breakdown
Home: Comparison Projects
Comparison Projects

It's not so scary when we have friends to help us along the way.

Home: Contact

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

  • Facebook - White Circle
Get Involved

All donations are tax-exempt to the full extent of the law and  will be managed by The Peoria Innovation Alliance.

Your details were sent successfully! Please be patient as our volunteers get back to you.

young-woman-taking-a-video-of-the-golden

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

​

 

The 1,000 Pounds Project officially wrapped up at a Bradley University Conference on November 18, 2020. The full report for this project is now available. 

Countdown to Construction

Home: Success
bottom of page