The Sol y Mar intersection is one of the busiest points in Galicia, with a daily traffic flow of 50,000 vehicles. Located on the AC-12, it serves as a connection between the municipality of Oleiros and the city of A Coruña.

In order to address the longstanding issue of severe traffic congestion affecting residents of A Coruña and the surrounding metropolitan area, the Ministry of Transport, Mobility, and Urban Agenda (MITMA) decided to undertake a renovation project in the area. This project involved the construction of an underground passage with a surface roundabout to manage the heavy flow of vehicles, along with the creation of a landscaped area.

In addition to improving the mobility of thousands of vehicles, this project also aimed to reduce pollution and noise, facilitate pedestrian traffic, and reclaim urban space for the community, thereby enhancing safety for both pedestrians and drivers.

NEW LIGHTING FOR ENHANCED VISIBILITY AND SMOOTHER, SAFER TRAFFIC FLOW

MITMA needed to illuminate this new underground passage with an energy-efficient solution that would ensure maximum protection, comply with regulations, and provide a high level of visual comfort for drivers. The project also required the installation of an intelligent lighting control system to increase energy efficiency and safety.

As lighting in a tunnel must adhere to strict criteria to always ensure excellent visibility, particularly in critical entry and exit areas, it was necessary to opt for a state-of-the-art lighting system that was robust and of high quality.

The chosen lighting solution was Carandini’s new T-XTREME tunnel luminaire, managed by the Controlux Tunnel control system.

PERFECT LIGHT DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO REGULATORY STANDARDS

The new underground passage has a length of 120 meters, with two lanes in each direction spanning 14 meters in width, including hard shoulders, and a maximum speed limit of 50 km/hr.

With these specifications and in accordance with the client’s objectives, Carandini’s lighting design team set out to provide the best lighting levels, in compliance with regulation OC36/2015.

After conducting various studies and site visits, it was recommended to install permanent lighting as well as daytime reinforcement lighting, as the tunnel, although not very long, presented the challenge of being curved, making it difficult to see the exit upon entry.

In total, 96 T-XTREME units were supplied for the interior of the tunnel, and 10 units of the Veka M road luminaire were installed at the tunnel entrance and exit, located on the service road.

INTELLIGENT TUNNEL LIGHTING SYSTEM FOR INCREASED SAFETY AND SAVINGS

One of the project requirements was to install intelligent lighting that would adjust light levels according to external ambient conditions and operate autonomously, while also being manually controllable in case of system failure.

The client opted for Carandini’s Controlux Tunnel intelligent system and installed a luminance meter at the tunnel entrance and another at the exit. These luminance meters are responsible for reading external light levels and sending information to the luminaires to adjust automatically based on the received data.

To address connectivity challenges in the underground passage, Carandini designed a push button panel that allows for manual adjustment of the exterior area, reinforcement lighting, and permanent lighting.

AN UNDERGROUND PASSAGE WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND MAXIMUM VISUAL COMFORT

The new lighting in the Sol y Mar underground passage provides excellent brightness, ensuring perfect visual guidance for drivers and excellent uniformity. The robustness of the installed solution guarantees a safe, comfortable, sustainable underground passage with the latest technology.

This new project has improved traffic flow at one of Galicia’s most critical points, increasing operational efficiency and minimizing interruptions. Additionally, the new lighting has reduced energy and maintenance costs.