Lighting Mountains

摘要

The coast and Cascade Mountain ranges run through the state of Oregon, dividing it into three separate regions. Highways that link the regions rely on tunnels to go under the mountains, and the tunnels rely on their lighting systems to improve vehicular safety. Just under a dozen of Oregon's mountain tunnels were constructed between 1930 and 1970. Lighting systems in the older tunnels were upgraded in the 1960s, but little had been done to upgrade them since that time. By 1990, the lighting wiring systems were failing and replacement parts were impossible to obtain. As maintenance costs skyrocketed, the Oregon Department of Transportation initiated a program to renovate the lighting systems in the tunnels. The goals of the program were to replace failing equipment and improve safety and light levels.