Anglès is a small municipality in the province of Girona, Spain, with just over 5,800 inhabitants. Despite its small size, nearly 20,000 vehicles travel its main road daily, causing high levels of pollution and noise, increasing the risk of accidents and reducing quality of life for its residents. Due to this high traffic volume, local residents had long been calling on the council to build a peripheral bypass to improve road safety and reduce pollution.

To address the problem, the Government of Catalonia approved the construction of a new 1.6-kilometre bypass connecting the C-63 and N-141 roads, including a 485-metre-long tunnel. This road will divert traffic from the city centre to the outskirts, preventing vehicles from passing through the town centre. The tunnel features two 3.5-metre-wide lanes, one for each direction, separated by a one-metre median, with a maximum speed limit of 80 km/h.

IMPROVING MOBILITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY

From the outset, the Anglès tunnel was designed with safety as a priority. It was not only meant to improve quality of life for the town’s residents but also to offer a safe and comfortable alternative for drivers and users. Therefore, lighting, which plays a crucial role in the road safety of such infrastructures, was planned to incorporate the latest technology. The lighting system needed to ensure perfect visibility and provide high visual comfort with minimal maintenance.

The project involved the UTE: CRC, OSSA, and RUBAU TARRÈS, as well as the installer Aluvisa, all of which worked closely together to carry out the installation of the tunnel’s interior and exterior lighting system.

To meet the project’s objectives, the Carandini modular T-XTREME solution was selected, a robust LED projector designed for installations like this, with a lifespan of 25-30 years.

CUSTOM LIGHTING STUDY

Each tunnel is unique, so to achieve perfect lighting, Carandini’s lighting studies team conducted a meticulous analysis of all the key factors: the topography of the tunnel’s entrances, its orientation, maximum permitted speed, traffic intensity and direction, among others.

After analysing two options (overhead lighting or bilateral lighting), a symmetrical bilateral installation was chosen, with the projectors installed horizontally at 0 degrees inclination. This solution allowed the luminaires to be perfectly aligned with the tray and reduced glare, which is a critical factor in any tunnel.

A TUNNEL WITH EXCELLENT UNIFORMITY AND HIGH VISUAL COMFORT

The new LED lighting installed in the Anglès tunnel has exceeded the uniformity standards set by regulations, providing drivers with high visual comfort without glare and eliminating the “tunnel effect.” The new T-XTREME solution installed also has minimal energy consumption and, thanks to its durability, ensures a reduction in maintenance operations while offering a long service life.