As the nightfall drops a dark-blue shroud onto the city, Zhonghe Overpass, which has been standing guard for 28 years, has undergone a remarkable rebirth.
The upgrading of the night lighting system of Zhonghe Overpass, initiated by Hangzhou Comprehensive Administrative Law Enforcement Bureau (also known as the Municipal Urban Management Bureau), kicked off last year. Through an innovative illumination system, the authority is creating a multi-scenario environment - one that ensures efficient mobility for vehicles and a warm, welcoming atmosphere for pedestrians and cyclists. The overpass is becoming a unique, poetic landmark within the nightscape.
Strolling beneath the overpass, you will feel like a visit to the gallery of light and shadow. According to the Urban Landscape Development Center, the “multi-layered lighting system” is tailored to modes of transportation. For vehicular lanes, a warm white light of 4,000K illuminates the entire route, with a novel dual-row wall-washing lighting scheme forming continuous light bands. On the section crossing the Canal, high-powered fixtures are installed to achieve an impressive 5.2-meter-wide even illumination across the bridge’s underbelly. For non-motorized lanes, the softer 3,000K amber glow is hidden within steel grooves, creating a floating halo effect to fit the rhythm of light points along the railings - together weaving a luminous belt back home for cyclists and pedestrians alike.
Behind the light and shadow is a mastery of technological ingenuity. The lighting upgrade employs “invisible tech,” incorporating a 0.2Hz ultra-slow breathing dimming system along vehicular routes. This achieves a visually imperceptible gradient between 40% to 100% brightness - catering to both traffic guidance and energy saving. Bridge piers and columns are accentuated with wall-washing lights to highlight their vertical texture, outlining a plump “skeleton” unique to interchanges. Notably, the system eliminates any intrusive colored glare throughout. “Pure light” is what the designer keeps in mind.
“The glow feels like floating clouds that cradles the bridge when I ride past, even the breeze greets me gentler,” remarked Ms. Li, a local resident. The upgrade also puts life quality first - the recessed diffuse reflection technology used on the cycle lanes eradicates harsh glare, while custom micro-clamp lights on railings look like brushes not only to outline a 2-meter safety illumination distance but sketch a rhythmic melody of light and shadow. Such details transform nighttime commutes into a journey blending security with a futuristic aura.