The General Mitre Tunnel, located in the heart of Barcelona, is a strategic infrastructure for the city’s urban mobility. It was inaugurated in 1999, and its construction allowed for a significant portion of road traffic to be moved underground, which eased surface-level traffic, reduced noise pollution, and improved the quality of life in neighboring districts.

With a length of nearly 600 meters, the tunnel consists of two independent one-way tubes, separated by a central wall. Its layout features a curve at the tunnel entrance, a straight central section, and a reverse curve at the exit, making it a uniquely complex roadway. Each tube has two traffic lanes and emergency walkways, handling more than 70,000 vehicles per day, consolidating its role as one of the busiest road axes in the Catalan capital.

FROM COMPACT FLORESCENT TO NEXT-GENERATION LED TECHNOLOGY

Since its commissioning, the tunnel had been equipped with Carandini emergency lighting, specifically the HFN114 model based on compact fluorescent technology. These fixtures, installed 25 years ago, remained fully operational thanks to their robustness and high quality, highlighting the long-term reliability of Carandini’s solutions. More than two decades later, the Barcelona City Council has once again trusted the brand to carry out the renovation of this key installation, in collaboration with ACISA, the company responsible for comprehensive tunnel maintenance in the city.

In this new project phase, the city council was looking for a solution that complied with current regulations, clearly identified evacuation routes in case of emergency, and provided continuous visual guidance to improve the tunnel’s unique roadway design. For this purpose, the T-LINE luminaire was chosen — a cutting-edge linear solution that functions both as emergency lighting and a beaconing and signalling system.

The project also included lighting for the Can Ràbia branch — an additional northbound tunnel exit — which required the same safety and visibility standards as the main route.

RESULTS THAT TRIPLE THE REGULATORY STANDARD WTH MINIMAL COST AND MAXIMUM UNIFORMITY

To modernize the lighting, 25 luminaires of 50 meters each were supplied, equipped with batteries, a 4000K colour temperature, and a colour rendering index (CRI) above 80. These were installed on the wall of the slow traffic lane in both directions.

From a technical perspective, the project followed the criteria established by the emergency lighting regulations of Barcelona’s Fire Department, which requires a minimum illuminance of 3 lux with battery power. The T-LINE solution far exceeded this threshold, reaching 10 lux, and achieved a lighting uniformity of 0.99 — virtually perfect. This homogeneity eliminates shadow areas and ensures optimal visibility at all times, significantly reinforcing the tunnel’s operational safety.

T-LINE: THE EVOLUTION OF EMERGENCY LIGHTING FOR TUNNELS 

Beyond meeting regulatory requirements, the choice of T-LINE is justified by its technical and functional advantages. Its modular design allows for up to 50 meters of continuous light with a single luminaire, greatly simplifying installation, reducing costs, and minimizing failures by eliminating potential connection points.  Both installation and maintenance are carried out without the need for adhesives or clips, and components can be replaced without tools, reducing intervention time. This is complemented by its low energy consumption, which contributes to greater operational efficiency and enhances the sustainability of the infrastructure with minimal operating costs.

The luminaire features a battery with 90-minute emergency mode autonomy, IP69K protection — ideal for high-pressure water cleaning — and allows full adjustment of the profile (depth, height, rotation, and tilt), making it suitable for all types of tunnels. It also includes an LED indicator showing battery status, facilitating preventive maintenance.