Murray Baker Bridge in Peoria to change colors for these two consecutive holidays
In a rare two-fer, the Murray Baker Bridge will feature special lighting on consecutive upcoming days.
The span will be lit in orange and blue overnight on Sunday, June 19, to mark Father's Day. It will be lit in red, black and green overnight on Monday, June 20, to celebrate Juneteenth. Both holidays fall on June 19.
Father's Day has been celebrated since the Middle Ages as St. Joseph's Day, the principal feast day of St. Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and legal father of Jesus Christ. In the United States, Sonora Smart Dodd of rural Spokane, Washington, is credited as the founder of the official national holiday. She was the daughter of a Civil War veteran who became a single parent of six when his wife died in childbirth. The first observation was held June 19, 1910, in Spokane. In 1972, President Richard Nixon signed an act officially making Father’s Day a national holiday.
Juneteenth is a federal holiday commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans and celebrating African-American culture. It has been observed in various parts of the nation since 1865 and marks the anniversary of a June 19, 1865, announcement by Union Army Gen. Gordon Granger proclaiming freedom for enslaved people in Texas, the last Confederate state with institutional slavery. It became a federal holiday on June 17, 2021, when President Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act into law.
New lights were added to the Murray Baker Bridge linking Peoria and East Peoria when its deck was reconstructed in 2020.
Ask Dean: How many homes were demolished to build Interstate 74 through Downtown Peoria?
From the archives: Murray Baker Bridge brought big changes to Peoria, good and bad
How to get special lighting on the bridge
Peoria has scheduled 25 holidays this year featuring special lighting. (Afterward, the bridge's hues revert to the city colors of green, yellow and blue.)
In addition, individuals or organizations can arrange their own special lighting in advance through requests to the Peoria Public Works Department. City policy requires at least 30 days' notice on such a request and forbids "lighting for political events, and/or political campaigns." The fee is $200 per evening, or $150 for nonprofits.
Questions regarding the Murray Baker Bridge Ornamental Lighting Program, Light Up the Bridge, should be directed to the Peoria Public Works Department by emailing publicworks@peoriagov.org or calling 309-494-8800.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: I-74 bridge in Peoria to change colors for Father's Day, Juneteenth
