Glow-in-the-Dark Roads Offer Bright, Safe Future

There is a stretch of road in Australia that glows at night – no, this isn’t the start of a ghost story, but a new road safety initiative by the local government.

Back in May last year, a 700-metre section of Metung Road – situated in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria – enjoyed a makeover of photoluminescent line markings, thanks to Tarmac Linemarking in collaboration with OmniGrip Direct and VicRoads.

The pilot test, which is one of 70, formed part of the Victorian Government Road Safety Program, which worked in tandem with Australia’s Department of Transport.

Each special line marking takes in sunlight during the day, and then emits the stored energy when it becomes dark, offering illumination around sharp turns, intersections and areas without street lights. Even on days with major cloud cover, the white of the reflective base on the line markings offer regular visibility.

To date, the “life-saving” project has received positive feedback from multiple stakeholders, especially on social media. Many claim that the increased road visibility has saved many motorists, and are hopeful that the special road coating will be rolled out to the rest of the country.

The idea behind the glow-in-the-dark road markings was previously utilised in the Netherlands city of Oss in 2014. The glowing freeway caused a minor traffic jam as throngs of people rushed to see the bright road of the future.

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