Re-installation of The Bay Lights is expected to begin Wednesday on the Bay Bridge, thanks to a private fundraising effort by Illuminate the Arts, the non-profit group behind the multimillion dollar project.
The lights will be back as a permanent part of the western span before the Super Bowl in 2016 thanks to more than $4 million in donations.
Designed by world-renowned artist Leo Villareal, The Bay Lights is the largest LED light sculpture in the world. The popular light installation changed the face of the Embarcadero when they went on display in March 2013, but had to be taken down when funding ran out last March.
But the lights are coming back as a result of a fundraising effort by Illuminate the Arts, which raised the $4 million by the end of last year. The organization was able to raise $2 million, which Bay Area philanthropist Tad Taube matched by donating another $2 million.
Electricians will install 25,000 LED lights over the next two months.