The new road connection Rotterdamsebaan connects the highways (A4 / A13) and the central ring of The Hague and makes the region more accessible. The traffic to and from the motorways can thus be distributed better and the congestion on the Utrechtsebaan is less.

The 4 kilometre long road connection has a 1800-meter-long tunnel and a 450-meter-long sunken roadway with several underpasses. The drilled tunnel consists of two tubes with an internal diameter of ten meters. Each tube has 2 lanes. The tunnel is drilled underneath a residential area, a park and a canal.

The Rotterdamsebaan project is a prime example of sustainable infrastructure in the Netherlands. The tunnel has many sustainable applications such as solar panels, LEAB asphalt, sound converters, LED lighting, and so on. It is one of the largest tunnels in the Benelux and the longest tunnel that is equipped with BB Lightpipe lighting. The tunnel has a high architectural value, partly thanks to the lighting from BB Lightpipe.

text continues after the photo

The tunnel is called the Victory Boogie Woogie Tunnel, named after the famous unfinished painting by the Dutch painter Piet Mondriaan.

Both the tunnel and the sunken location have a continuous BB Lightpipe light line on both sides at a height of 4,7 meters. The lightpipe lengths are custom made to the white curved wall elements, which ensures a sublime result. This appearance ensures a comfortable and safe passage for the road user.

Bennie Elfrink of BB Lightpipe took care of the development of our innovative lighting solution. Paul de Graaf successfully completed the light calculations and project coordination between our factory, the system integrator and the installation company.

Lighting equipement

The tunnel is equipped with 2.091 lightpipes, in lengths of 1,25 - 2,5 - 3,75 and 5 meters. The lengths are adjusted to the dimensions of the wall sections. A total of 1,461 external driver housings are installed, part of which controls 2 lightpipes. The light colour is set to 3500K, at the special request of the customer, which gives a warmer tone than the standard 5000K.

The lightpipes are placed at an angle of 35 ° for optimal light distribution. The specially designed suspension bracket connect the lightpipe to the wall construction. The bracket is developed by Cruxin within the TKH Group. Cruxin also acted as a system integrator for lighting and lighting controls.

The customer now has high-quality lighting with a long life span and very low maintenance for a period of at least 15 years.

Click here for a virtual drive through.

The lighting in Dehin Tunnel in Liège, Belgium, was recently fully renovated. While the existing fixtures where mounted as a point lighting above the driveway, the new BB Lightpipes are mounted in a continues line at the side. This improves driving comfort and road safety in the curved and sloped tunnel.

For the same reason light level is adjusted automaticly to the wheather type outside. The different lighting scenes can switch in several steps from very sunny to very cloudy, as well as to a night level. This way visability for the driver is optimized while reducing glare to a minimum.

Tunnel specific lighting

Lighting for tunnels and underpasses are in many ways different from traditional LED fixtures for indoor lighting. For tunnels there are very specific requirements for material usage, electrical safety and lighting demands.

To meet the requirements from the CIE norms (L20 entrance lighting curve) BB Lightpipe developed the High Lumen Output Lightpipe (HLO). This fixture is very suited for entrance- and exit zone lighting in tunnels. The HLO is DALI dimmable as is used in the lighting scenes. The high fixture efficiency in combination with the adjustable lighting levels optimize energy consumption. Therefore the BB Lightpipe has a mayor energy cost reduction in comparison to traditional tunnel lighting fixtures.

The BB Lightpipe is a high quality fixture thanks to the use of ceramic LED’s in combination with a good termal conduction. Therefor the LED stays cool and the lumen depreciation is low. Replacement of the LEDs is no longer needed which means maintenance cost is kept low. This is an important factor in tunnels where lighting is difficult to reach and road closure is expensive. The BB Lightpipe can be implanted in new and existing projects.

When you choose for the BB Lightpipe you are ensured of a sturdy and durable fixture in combination with high aesthetic qualities and low energy consumption. The BB Lightpipe fixtures are impact resisitant IK10+ and IP66 water tight. This means the fixtures can be mounted in harsh environments such as tunnels and underpasses.

Unique features of the BB Lightpipe HLO

Continues, optical and modulair lighting system with:

+ vandal proof polycarbonate tubes with prism foil technology;

+ sturdy anodised aluminium profile and housing;

+ 4 led-modules, with 18 ceramic LEDs each;

This makes;

+ a constant, uniform and glare free lighting distribution;

+ a 180 degree light output increasing comfort;

+ a high lumen output for high light demands;

+ suitable for entrance and exit zones;

+ energy savings by making use of dimming (DALI);

+ possibility of integrating emergency lighting or Evaq;