Illinois Tollway Lighting the Way to Safer, More Energy-Efficient LED Lights
The Illinois Tollway is upgrading lighting across its system to energy-efficient LED fixtures. By retrofitting existing light fixtures and designing and building new LED fixtures as part of the Move Illinois capital program, the Tollway’s LED lighting efforts are improving customer safety while reducing energy consumption and realizing cost savings.
“As we prioritize safety, we are always mindful of our environmental footprint. Not only are we providing a more direct, uniform light to expand visibility for drivers through new LED lighting, this program provides a significant opportunity to achieve a more efficient use of electricity. Each light fixture is estimated to save about 1000 kilowatt-hours annually,” said Illinois Tollway Executive Director José Alvarez.
Long-term benefits for customers will be realized through overall energy reduction. For example, a one-mile section along the Tri-State Tollway (I-294), the Tollway reduced energy by 55 percent which resulted in a more than 38 percent cost savings.
Other benefits include a longer lifespan, which results in less maintenance for Tollway crews.
The Illinois Tollway projects by 2021 90 percent of the system lighting will be LED, including a large portion of the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway (I-90), all of the Illinois Route 390 Tollway and portions of the Tri-State Tollway (I-94/I-294/I-80), Veterans Memorial Tollway (I-355) and the Reagan Memorial Tollway (I-88).
The Tollway plans to achieve 100 percent LED lighting by the end of 2026.