Carpet-style solid white light bright in San Francisco New Bay Bridge

The San Francisco New Bay Bridge under construction in San Francisco, USA is expected to open before the end of 2013. Electric contractor Bleyco is responsible for the lighting component of the $7 billion bridge, and joint sports lighting manufacturer Musco has adopted the most advanced system ever.

The idea was to use a cutting-edge directional lighting to illuminate the bridge carriageway with solid white light, eliminating the glare of the exposed zebra crossing and the driver's window. In 2008, when Bleyco contacted Musco, the technology did not exist and the solution was unknown. At the end of 2009, there was finally a viable plan. But even in 2009, Musco couldn't control as many LEDs as the chip, and tested 25 to 50 Cree XM-L LED luminaires on rural roads in Iowa.

The lighting system of the Bay Bridge is very unique. Each LED points to a different place, with a different "cap" and a different lens. There are many layers of metal plates near the top of the lamp, and nylon is sandwiched between them to suppress vibration. Not only is the practical design, the pentagonal shape is designed to match the central tower of the bridge, and the seven lamps on each pole are meant to represent the seven pillars on the central tower. The system is not only long lasting, safer and more aesthetically pleasing.

The bridge's lighting costs $18 million. It is not necessary to close the driveway for a few years to replace the luminaire. The cost includes a 10-year parts and labor warranty. The remote programming system means that engineers can change the brightness of each fixture without having to climb to the fixture installation. The luminaire is mounted on the opposite 20-meter-high pole, so it won't glare because of anyone's eyes or the windshield. The entire road surface is covered by LED white sheets.