Sixteen lighting projectors were installed and tested on a 64-metre stretch of St Andrew's Road last week, a section that will see cars reaching anything up to 260km/h on race weekend. The system was operated for five hours each night through the week, giving valuable feedback on the operation of the lights in all weather conditions, and over a sustained period, as well as allowing members of the public to view the infrastructure - and get an idea of how it might impact on 'everyday' life in Singapore.
In September, the entire track will be fitted with nearly 1500 lighting projectors which will be powered by twelve twin-power generators and produce an overall average of 3000 lux. As a result, the track will be almost four times brighter than a typical sports stadium, but with plans in place to ensure that there is no risk of glare distracting or confusing the drivers. At the recent
MotoGP night race in Qatar, all trackside vehincle had to have their brake lights taped up because it was claimed that the red glow could be seen by the riders on the track.
Installation of the full lighting system will be carried out in stages, starting with the pit straight at the end of May, with completion targeted for 31 August, a month ahead of the race.
The live demonstration of the lighting system is the circuit's latest milestone, with the pit building now 65 per cent complete and well on schedule to be ready by the end of June. The modification works to existing roads, such as the removal of kerbs and traffic islands, as well as the expansion of the Promenade in front the National Day Parade seating gallery, are also in the advanced stages of completion.
The remaining of the road works, such as the construction of a new track section in front of the pit building and the construction of a service road and tunnel to the paddock, are expected to be completed by late May.
![Singapore lighting system [pic credit: Valerio Maioli SpA]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/390602.jpg)
