Colombia’s new Alto Magdalena highway lit by Fonroche
Building on its successful involvement in the 'Viaducto de la Paz' project, France-based company Fonroche is pursuing its expansion in Colombia with another ecofriendly public lighting solution — this time for the new Alto Magdalena highway project. Hundreds of solar streetlights are being installed at strategic locations along the route to make driving safer and more enjoyable.
Colombia’s solar public lighting revolution
Making travel easier
In Colombia, a 190 kilometre (118 mi) highway is being constructed between the towns of Girardot, Puerto Salgar and Honda. Running just to the east of the north-flowing Magdalena River, this new link connects the south-central region with the country’s north. It will boost the region’s economy by making it easier for people to travel and reducing journey times. Currently, the only link between these two parts of the country is a secondary road, which makes travel tedious and, at times, hazardous.
To improve safety on the new highway, public lighting is being installed at service areas, pedestrian walkways, toll plazas and access roundabouts. The contract for this work was awarded to Fonroche Lighting of France. Over 300 solar streetlights will provide lighting for motorists 365 nights a year. This latest project in Colombia shows how Fonroche’s off-grid solution is the perfect fit for all types of infrastructure, even the most complex.
Powerful public lighting at minimum cost
Fonroche public lighting technology was chosen for several reasons:
- Easy installation. Solar streetlights are entirely off-grid, so no groundwork or cabling is required. For new infrastructure projects, it means work can progress faster. Whereas conventional grid-connected lighting would take months to install, our solar solution is up and running in just days.
- No operating costs. Once a solar streetlight is in place, its PV panel starts charging the battery ready to provide immediate illumination. These strategic locations along the highway will be lit every night of the year, with no outages or disruption.
- No electricity bills.
- Maintenance is provided by a dedicated team, but it isn’t needed for the first 10 years after installation.
Fonroche brings light to Colombia’s road projects
Recap on the Viaducto de la Paz project
Colombia’s Viaducto de la Paz road bridge was officially opened in July 2018, with more than 400 solar streetlights installed by Fonroche. Spanning 5.4 kilometres (3.4 mi), it improves links between the cities of Cartagena and Barranquilla, reducing journey times by 10 minutes.
Projects like these reflect Colombia’s determination to drive the economic development of its regions and boost tourism, while adopting an environmentally sustainable approach.
