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New look for Flemish motorways as lights change colour

22:33 28/05/2018

The atmosphere on Flanders’ motorways will change over the next few years as yellow-orange sodium lamps are replaced by the blue-white of LED lighting. The move is expected to improve road safety, save money and reduce the environmental impact of lighting the roads.

The decision to change lighting systems follows a pilot project on the A12 near Stabroek. Motorists responded well to the new conditions, and LED lamps have slowly appeared elsewhere.

“We are already in the habit of replacing broken lamps with LED lights, but now we are taking it up a gear,” said Ben Weyts, Flemish minister for mobility and public works. “We are going to replace all the lights along the motorways, step by step. In a following phase, it will be the turn of the regional roads.”

The blue-white light produced by the LED lamps is considered better for visibility, and therefore safer, while consuming less energy. LED lighting is also easier to direct, so the same stretch of highway can be lit by fewer lamp posts, set further apart.

Converting all the motorways in Flanders will take four years and cost €16 to €20 million, but the savings will quickly mount up. “We’ll save €4 million a year and 40 tonnes of CO2,” said Weyts. “After six years, we will have completely recouped our investment.”

The change will not only affect how it feels to drive at night in Belgium, but also the way Europe looks from space. Last year photographs taken by French astronaut Thomas Pesquet showed that Belgium is the only country in Europe entirely visible all night long, because its street lights are never turned off.

Photo: Bruce Fahy/Belga

Written by Flanders Today