During Boise’s sesquicentennial celebration year of 2013, several agencies raised the funds to restore the Capitol Boulevard Bridge to its original 1930’s appearance. The city celebrated the completion of the bridge in 1931 with great fanfare despite the disheartening atmosphere of the Great Depression. Morrison Knudsen constructed the bridge, which the city intended as a memorial to Oregon Trail pioneers. The design includes bronze plaques and decorative tiles commemorating the Oregon Trail created by Works Progress Administration Artists. Another striking feature of the bridge included six lights on the bridge’s piers that illuminated the river below. At some unknown point in the bridge’s history, these lights disappeared.
Alloway electricians participated in the restoration of this remarkable city landmark by installing new lights on the piers. A Boise craftsman, Greg Marsters, recreated the cast iron pier lights in more durable steel based on a 1925 catalog design. Project overseers also paid much attention to the paint colors of the bridge to ensure that the reflected light from the modern, more efficient LED lights had the same appearance as the original incandescent bulbs. The installation of these lower lights by Alloway electricians, who braved the cold waters of the Boise River during the winter of 2014, was the final touch of the renewal of this beautiful and significant Boise landmark.
Source: Anna Webb, “Lights on the Water again: Boise River bridge restored,” Idaho Statesman, February 1, 2014.