The Moulay el Hassan Bridge in Rabat, Morocco, is one of the longest and most modern bridges in the Alaouite Kingdom and is now illuminated thanks to GE Lighting’s Iberia LED, a versatile outdoor luminaire that combines design excellence with energy savings and an extraordinary luminous quality.

In the last decade, Morocco has undertaken an ambitious infrastructure modernization plan that has made its construction sector one of the most active in the Maghreb. The capital of Rabat has benefited from the modernity of contemporary architecture and all the monarchy’s efforts to attract foreign investment.
 
The Moulay el Hassan Bridge is the result of this massive nationwide renovation project. It replaces the old bridge that joined the cities of Salé and Rabat in the estuary of the Bouregreg River. The new structure forms part of the “Bouregreg” tourism complex, a 60-million-square-meter site where there are plans to build hotels, apartments and shopping and recreation centers in an attempt to revitalize the zone.
 
This bridge, named after the firstborn child of King Mohammed VI, Moulay el Hassan, and one of the most modern in the country, is 1,200 meters (m) long, 46 m wide and 12.8 m high. The Moulay el Hassan Bridge will ensure a smooth flow of traffic between the two sides. Marc Mimram, an internationally known consulting firm, designed and managed this project. SGTM (Morocco), the company in charge of the project, is responsible for executing the work begun by the king in December 2007.

Rabat Iberia Bridge in Morocco, upgraded to GE’s LED fixtures for roadway lighting applications.
 

Seeking the Ideal Solution
SGTM was aware of the importance of quality lighting because of the bridge’s relation to the royal family. For this reason, there were three fundamental conditions to be met: low maintenance costs, an aesthetically attractive design and a recognized brand that would assure the quality of the product and customer service. It was particularly important that GE offer strong technical support together with an excellent delivery time — essential requirements for building the bridge.
 
“We needed a brand that would assure a good product quality, and this was provided by GE Lighting with its factories in Europe, which boosted our trust in the manufacturing, finishes and speed of delivery,” said Mr. Mehdi Meziane Belfkih, Director of Maroc Signal.
 
Seventy-two Iberia LEDs have been used to light the new bridge. They have been installed at a height of 11 meters to ensure visibility on the three traffic lanes in each of the directions. In addition, the Moulay el Hassan Bridge has a pedestrian and cyclist crossing and a platform for two tramcar lines. For these reasons, energy-efficient lighting was essential to increase safety on the bridge.
 
The Iberia LED offers a considerable increase of both vertical and horizontal uniformity. This, together with the high chromatic reproduction of the LED technology (white light), facilitates facial recognition and boosts visual comfort. Thanks to its advanced design, the light can be specifically targeted to where it is supposed to be. The long useful lifetime of the LED — 50,000 hours —  considerably reduces maintenance and replacement costs, which make it a particularly suitable solution for public lighting whenever considerable cost reductions are sought.
 
Referring to these luminaires, Ana Cantero, GE Product Manager Outdoor Fittings EMEA, says, “The elegant design of the Iberia LED, together with its advanced optical system, makes this luminaire the ideal solution for illuminating this bridge. GE Lighting has achieved the environmental friendliness objective pursued by the lighting project for the bridge.”
 
With the installation of this new system, GE Lighting has provided the city of Rabat with significant savings in energy and maintenance costs, which was one of the objectives of this project that sought the most modern, technologically advanced systems available.