Colour is used in road lighting in a subtle manner to create a contrast and to provide a wayfinding element. White light (metal halide) is used around the sweeping curve to lead drivers to the Tullamarine Freeway whereas yellow light
(HPS) is used to light other areas of the interchange and to lead drivers to the Calder Freeway. To our knowledge, this is the first time metal halide has been used in a major road lighting job in Australia.

The technical challenges posed by the road’s proximity to Essendon Airport were significant. We performed complex calculations to provide light to the areas to the ends of the runways which have exclusion zones for air traffic as low as 4 metres above the road surface. Some areas of the road were previously unlit due to the challenges posed by these exclusion zones. The scheme is fully compliant with AS/NZS1158.1.1

The fittings were chosen to have aesthetics (often ignored in major road lighting) as well as being highly functional fittings with excellent performance. All fittings are full cut off for compliance with airport proximity requirements.