News Source:

The Detroit News

Metro Detroit freeways to be upgraded with approximately 15,000 LED streetlights.

Several major interstates freeways will be converted to LED lighting as early as April 2016 with a US $123 million public-private partnership.

The Michigan Department of Transportation is working on a schedule, aiming to complete LED light switch within two years.

The contract that costs US $142 million will last for 15 years while about a half at US $ 77 million will be provided by the federal government, said Charlie Stein, the innovative contractor and project manager for the Michigan Department of Transportation.

The switch is projected to save Michigan about US $60 million over the course of the 15 year period.

The project will be completed by several companies, including Illinois- based Aldridge Electric, Canadian company Cofely Services, BlackRock Infrastructure, based in New York and Star America Fund as well as Parsons Brinckerhoff.

“The majority of the work will be done during off peak hours between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.,” Stein said. “If the weather breaks, it’s a possibility that we can start in March, but it’s hard to tell right now.”

Most of the conversion work will be performed during off- peak hours between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m., the crew may be able to start the switch early in March given the weather condition, said Stein.

The LED streetlights selected for the project have approximately five to eight years of lifetime, which will save the state a lot more maintenance cost comparing to the two to five years lifetime of HPS lights.

It’s estimated that the state would need US $183 million for the replacement of HPS lights. The striking cost once kept the state from switching the lights, but as stated by Stein, if the state switch to LED streetlights, “energy consumption costs would be lower and there would be less light pollution.”