LiteSheet Provides Solution for Virginia’s Monitor-Merrimac Tunnel

After over one year of operation, LiteSheet Solutions’ 1500 roadway and tunnel ETL approved LED retrofit luminaires have survived and passed every operational challenge including high power wash downs, three tunnel fires, a minor earthquake and power interruptions in Virginia’s 4.6 mile Monitor-Merrimack Tunnel.

“Virginia’s DOT had been conducting trials on a wide variety of conventional DC LED fixtures, but saw an increased failure rate because of LED/COB (chip on board) and power supply failures,” said Roger Whyte, President and CEO of LiteSheet Solutions, “Our AC-Direct LED solution offered a zero-failure rate solution which has stood the test of time.”

Virginia DOT used LiteSheet LED AC-Direct lighting to retrofit the 4.6 mile Monitor-Merrimac Bridge Tunnel, north and south bound tunnel bores, that has been using traditional low efficiency, high power HID bulbs and ballasts to light the commute of nearly 3 million drivers each month. This four-lane, dual-tunnel system connects the Virginia Peninsula cities of Newport News and Hampton to the South Hampton Roads cities of Suffolk and Chesapeake.

Over 1500 LiteSheet 80W and 160W retrofit kits have been installed in both the north and south bores. The retrofit operation was done seamlessly, at night, with minimum lane closures and little commuter interruption. Because of the LiteSheet fixtures “plug and play” installation, only alternative lane closures were necessary at low traffic times with limited traffic disruption.

LiteSheet’s retrofit kits consume 1/3 of the power needed by traditional HIDs. Light levels in the tunnel have increased by 3 times resulting in significant improvements in safety particularly in “accident zones” and in the “transition areas of the tunnel” due to improved visibility.

“The results of the Monitor-Merrimac Tunnel retrofit are remarkable,” said Whyte, “With little or no traffic interruptions, zero fixture failures and improved light and visibility, LiteSheet’s AC-Direct LED products are ideal solutions for high traffic, difficult to maintain environments like tunnels and bridges.”

LiteSheet offers a 15-year non-prorated warranty and its products are manufactured in the USA.

For information contact Neil Talbot at neil.talbot@enervationlighting.com.

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