Skip to main content

Nevada high speed tunnel gets intelligent lighting control

Quebec-based tunnel lighting specialist Nyx Hemera has completed the installation of its tunnel lighting addressable control system (TLACS) in the Carlin Tunnel, Nevada, USA, claimed to be the first highway rated speed tunnel in North America to be fully lighted with LEDs. Located in north-eastern Nevada and crossing over the Humbolt River, the quarter-mile long Carlin tunnel runs through an approximately US$31 million refurbishment project and includes enhanced roadway drainage, new concrete near tunne
June 11, 2014 Read time: 2 mins
Quebec-based tunnel lighting specialist 7797 Nyx Hemera Technologies has completed the installation of its tunnel lighting addressable control system (TLACS) in the Carlin Tunnel, Nevada, USA, claimed to be the first highway rated speed tunnel in North America to be fully lighted with LEDs.

Located in north-eastern Nevada and crossing over the Humbolt River, the quarter-mile long Carlin tunnel runs through an approximately US$31 million refurbishment project and includes enhanced roadway drainage, new concrete near tunnel entrances and new lighting system.

Designed with P.K. Electrical for the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), the new lighting system includes LED luminaires, which are specifically designed for tunnel applications, and the TLACS, a sophisticated lighting control system employing dynamic dimming that responds to ambient light levels on both the inside and outside of the tunnels.

The eastbound bore was completed in December 2013; the westbound bore will be finalised in November 2014.

According to Nyx Hemera president and chief executive officer, Pierre Longtin, when LED lighting is used in road tunnels, an adapted and robust intelligent control system is necessary to be able to get the most out of the benefits offered by LEDs. “The TLACS’ exceptional increases in energy savings, safety and equipment lifetime will allow NDOT to reduce their operational costs, by approximately half, during a 20-year lifecycle. This entails dramatic savings over other conventional systems,” he says.

Karen D. Purcell, principal at P.K. Electrical, said, “The TLACS plays a vital role amongst all the innovative solutions used in the design of the tunnel lighting system. The tunnel will use a lighting control system with the latest technologies that will not only enhance energy consumption and security but also improve operational management.”

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • ITS asset management matters
    April 26, 2013
    Maintenance of on-road ITS kit needs to become more sophisticated; while new technologies can deliver better road maintenance. David Crawford investigates both sides of the issue "Good information is key to effective ITS asset maintenance,” says Ian Routledge of the Ian Routledge Consultancy (IRC), whose Imtrac (Information Management for TRAffic Control) system is poised for European expansion. Developed as an ‘intelligent filing cabinet’ for storing information about on-road equipment, the online database
  • Active traffic management increases safety and capacity
    February 2, 2012
    WSDOT is deploying Active Traffic Management in order to increase safety and capacity on its strategic roads. WSDOT's Patricia Michaud elaborates
  • Urban tunnel replaces viaduct, improves safety
    October 10, 2012
    Earthquake sensors, automatic barriers and real time monitoring systems are all part of a scheme to make a major Seattle traffic artery safer, by taking it underground. Huw Williams reports. Seattle’s metropolitan area of 3.5 million people, like much of the western seaboard of the United States, lies in an earthquake zone. In Seattle’s case, the city and its hinterland sit atop a complex network of interrelated active geological faults capable of severe seismic activity and posing complex considerations fo
  • Developments in travel information display systems
    August 1, 2012
    David Crawford looks at recent developments in travel information display systems. It is important to remember that we are investing in Real-Time Passenger Information [RTPI] to increase ridership," says Robert Burke, Managing Director of New Zealand transit tracking technology specialist Connexionz, which has been involved in at-stop and remote passenger information since 1995. "Superior information improves the perception of public transport reliability and gives the passenger more choices and greater con