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A light sculpture made up of 25,000 LED lights strung along the western span of the Bay Bridge will be turned on tonight after months of preparation. 

The privately funded $8 million project known as "The Bay Lights" will be switched on at about 9 p.m. today following an invitation-only event in San Francisco, according to spokeswoman Barbara Zamost. 

Mayor Ed Lee and Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom are among the dignitaries expected to attend the event, as is artist Leo Villareal, who designed and oversaw the installation of the light sculpture and will turn it on from a computer, Zamost said. 

The lights will not be visible to drivers on the Bay Bridge but can be seen from the East Bay. They are mounted on the vertical cables of the bridge and will be on for about seven hours each night, according to organizers. 

The lights, which began being installed last fall, will remain on the bridge for two years.