Smart Highway

New glow-in-the-dark smart road markings have been unveiled to replace standard streetlights on a 500m-long stretch of the N329 highway in Oss, the Netherlands.

The experimental project is a collaboration between European construction company Heijmans and Dutch design firm Studio Roosegaarde.

Introduced in an effort to save energy, the new technology uses a photo-luminising powder that eliminates the use of extra lighting.

The road markings are charged in daylight and release a green glow to illuminate roads for up to eight hours during the night.

Studio Roosegaarde founder Daan Roosegaarde and Heijmans Infrastructure unveiled the first prototypes of the smart highway during Dutch Design Week in October 2012.

"If successful in Oss, Heijmans plans to expand the technology to other areas later this year."

Speaking to the BBC about the project last year, Roosegaarde said: "This road is about safety and envisaging a more self-sustainable and more interactive world."

According to Heijmans, the glow-in-the-dark technology is a sustainable alternative in places that do not have conventional lighting.

If successful in Oss, Heijmans plans to expand the technology to other areas later this year.

Although the UK Highways Agency has been observing the trial in the Netherlands with interest, it said that studies had shown that luminescent road paint would be unsuitable for use in the country.

Image: The new road markings are charged in daylight and release a green glow to illuminate roads for up to eight hours during the night. Photo: courtesy of Studio Roosegaarde BV.