The first glow-in-the-dark highway was unveiled today in Holland. The 1600-feet stretch of road has been coated with a “photo-luminising” powder that uses sunlight to power-up during daytime and then releases a greenish glow at nighttime. One day’s sunlight can supply up to eight hours of glow.

This kind of glow-in-the-dark highway is being touted as the future for all roads and it is claimed it will eventually do away with the need for street lamps.

The idea was developed by interactive artist Daan Roosegaarde and Dutch civil engineering group Heijmans, and today the technology was being tried out before being officially launched later this month. The first"glowing lines” are being tested on a stretch of highway on the N329 in Oss, just over 60 miles south of Amsterdam. In an interview, last year, with the BBC Mr. Roosegaarde said:

“The government is shutting down streetlights at night to save money, energy is becoming much more important than we could have imagined 50 years ago. This road is about safety and envisaging a more self-sustainable and more interactive world.”

Originally there had been plans to include weather symbols, which were to be made from a temperature sensitive paint, but at present, this technology has not been included in the initial test run in Oss. The present test will also take into account possible damage caused by skid marks, and the issues caused during winter months when there are fewer hours of daylight. However, if the pilot scheme proves successful, it is believed this new glow-in-the-dark technology will be rolled out nationally across Holland.

Certainly it will make taking a trip in Holland… trippier.

Below, the original promo for glow-in-the-dark highways by Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans.
 

 
Via BBC News