SomeConnecticuthighway lights have been turning purple. Here's why
Jul. 27—State Department of Transportation officials said Thursday that they are aware of the issue and that so far it has affected about 100 of the 5,000 lights the agency bought as part of a plan to replace all the current roadway lights on Connecticut's highways with more energy efficient LED lights, which use 50 percent less electricity.
Josh Morgan, spokesman for the DOT, said that they became aware of the oddity through a variety of notices from travelers to state police and DOT workers and that most of the reports center on Routes 3 and 9.
Morgan said the defective lights, manufactured by Acuity Brands, were produced between June 2017 and June 2019 and usually take about two years to turn from blue/white to purple. Morgan said that the state started installing the lights in 2020 and 2021 so the timeline aligns.
Morgan said the company will replace the lights, which cost about $300 apiece, at no additional cost.
Connecticut is not the only state to observe the purple light phenomenon. At least a half dozen states, from California to North Carolina have also reported the lighting issue.
Morgan said that the defective lights do not represent a safety issue, just an aesthetic one and that motorists should not perceive that there's an homage to Prince or the Minnesota Vikings at play.
An official for New Haven-based Accuity Brands said Thursday that the "blue light" effect is due to a spectral shift caused by phosphor displacement seen years after initial installation, that it occurred in a small percentage of those fixtures and that the company longer uses the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that caused this spectral shift.
"Acuity Brands utilizes state-of-the-art LED components from top tier manufacturers and has the strategic supply chain and engineering processes in place to ensure that our products continue to provide industry leading performance," said Neil Egan, director of communications. "As always, we stand behind the quality of our products, and we have been proactively working with customers who have been affected by this issue to address and satisfactorily resolve any concerns. Our customer service team is available for any questions customers may have."
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