Desheng Expressway and Qiushi Expressway in Hangzhou to Undergo Lighting Upgrades
To enhance the nighttime landscape of the city's expressways and improve travel quality for residents, the urban management department of Hangzhou plans to carry out landscape lighting upgrades this year on Desheng Expressway (from Desheng Interchange to Tongsheng Road) and the Qiushi Elevated Expressway (from Shide Interchange to Genqiu Interchange section), giving the nighttime scenery of these urban arteries a brand-new transformation.
Practical Lighting: Safer and More Comfortable
This lighting upgrade focuses not only on aesthetics but also on functionality. The entire route will feature static 3000K warm white light. New integrated luminaires will be discreetly installed on the underside of bridge decks, using a wall-washing technique to evenly illuminate the vertical surfaces beneath the bridges. The light will be soft and delicate, improving illumination uniformity in the bridge underside area through diffuse reflection, achieving a glare-free and shadow-free effect. Road boundaries will be clearly visible, and brightness in the space under the bridges will be precisely controlled within a reasonable range. Additionally, because there is no upward-directed light, residents in surrounding areas will not experience light interference. From a driver's perspective, the light will be soft and non-dazzling, making every nighttime journey feel safer and more composed-this is the core value of practical lighting.
Artistic Aesthetics: Warmer and More Captivating
When night falls, the Desheng and Qiushi Expressways will transform into two "ribbons of light" running through the city. Warm white light will flow gently from beneath the bridge decks, like a paintbrush evenly washing over every inch of concrete texture, outlining the elegant structural contours and rhythmic depth of the bridges. There will be no dazzling colors or flashing patterns-only calm, rhythmic, static bands of light stretching along the elevated roads, quietly blending with the warm tones of surrounding residential and commercial buildings. Viewed from the city skyline, they form a continuous and complete iconic light corridor. Viewed from beneath the bridges, they present a layered picture of light and shadow. From a driver's perspective, they offer clear, comfortable, and glare-free visual guidance. Every light fixture is carefully concealed, and every beam of light is perfectly placed-showcasing the structural beauty of the bridges while harmonizing with the surrounding environment, adding a composed, warm, and modern urban character to Hangzhou at night.
Energy Efficiency and Smart Technology: Greener and More Intelligent
Lighting upgrades must not only illuminate the night sky but also embrace the philosophy of green development. Last year, the Desheng Expressway (from Shide Interchange to Mingshi Road section) already took the lead in China by extensively applying high-efficiency LED chip technology, reducing total power consumption on that section by approximately 110 kilowatts. This new round of upgrades will achieve even greater energy savings: after the upgrade, total energy consumption on Desheng Expressway (from Desheng Interchange to Tongsheng Road) is expected to decrease by about 70%, while on Qiushi Expressway (from Shide Interchange to Genqiu Interchange section), it is expected to decrease by about 64%. Behind these numbers lies tangible low-carbon practice.
At the same time, the upgraded sections will be equipped with a unified remote-control terminal system, known as the "single switch," installed inside distribution boxes, enabling precise scheduling of lighting hours and making light fixture control smarter and more reliable. Energy efficiency and smart technology go hand in hand, allowing this urban artery to pulse more greenly and lightly through the night.
Making expressways more beautiful, safer, and more comfortable at night-let us look forward to the brilliant transformation of Desheng and Qiushi, infusing the city's arteries with warm and reassuring light.