Roxas Boulevard in Manila City will be brighter at night, without consuming more electricity. This is thanks to the new solar studs the city has fitted along its lanes to light up the road.
Solar studs have been installed on all lanes along the stretch of Roxas Blvd. from Vito Cruz to Quirino Avenue. These studs are the more modern iteration of cateye reflectors.
The devices are composed of a small solar panel, a light sensor and LED lights. Solar panels collect energy from the sun in daylight and store them in small batteries. When it turns dark, the light sensor in the device is triggered and turns on the LED light. Because the LED bulbs use very little electricity, they’re able to illuminate the road the entire night. Come day time, the batteries are charged again by the energy from the sun.
This is a project of the City of Manila, specifically the Department of Engineering and Public Works led by City Engineer, Armand Andres. The project was conceived to help keep drivers and commuters safe at night by having the roads and markers illuminated. Specifically, the illuminated solar studs will help keep motorists in their correct lanes at night, when it is hard to see the painted lane markers.
You might have seen these solar studs before on other roads, typically flyovers where installing street lamps with other flyovers might be difficult. However, installing them on a scenic road like Roxas Blvd is also quite a good idea, giving many motorists new reason to cruise by the coastal road at night.
At the moment, the solar studs are installed only on the northbound lane of Roxas Boulevard, along the stretch of Vito Cruz to Quirino Avenue. We’re fairly certain the other lane will get them as well. We can’t wait until the entire Roxas Blvd is lit up like this.
