Smart lighting for Ville-Marie Tunnel

The Ville-Marie tunnel, in the heart of downtown Montreal, is part of Route 136, is a major east-west artery through the city. It provides vital access to the city centre and links to other motorways such as the A10 and A15 for 118,000 vehicles per day. The tunnel opened in 1984 and in 2020, the Ministry of Transportation Quebec (MTQ) embarked on a 10-year renovation project to address the ageing infrastructure and improve safety. As part of the refurbishment, they wanted to upgrade the lighting to more modern and sustainable LED technology.
 

Smart lighting technology for an important strategic tunnel

The Ministry of Transportation Quebec was looking for a technological solution that would guarantee performance for the next 20 years and more. It opted for a smart tunnel lighting system with the powerful and energy-efficient CONTILED and OMNISTAR luminaires and the Advanced Tunnel Control System (ATS 4), jointly developed by Schréder and Phoenix Contact.
 

Improved safety for a better driving experience

For Phase 1 which was completed in 2024, just over 1,350 CONTILED luminaires were mounted on the tunnel ceiling in two continuous lines. Each luminaire was equipped with carefully selected optics to ensure optimum light distribution, providing excellent uniformity on the road and tunnel walls.

The luminaires deliver a bright white light that accurately renders colours and ensures high visual comfort for drivers, improving safety and creating a more pleasant driving experience. 

Due to the high volume of traffic passing through the tunnel, OMNISTAR luminaires have been strategically installed for the reinforcement lighting. They boost the lighting to avoid the “black hole effect” and ensure an easy and comfortable transition in the critical entrance zone.
 

Less energy and maintenance costs

The highly efficient CONTILED and OMNISTAR are fitted with the latest generation of LEDs to deliver a high-quality light with significantly less energy. The long life of the LEDs combined with the robust design (IP 66 / IK 08) means that despite the harsh tunnel environment, the luminaires will continue to deliver this high performance for many years and will need little maintenance.
 

Smart control to meet real needs

All the luminaires are controlled by the ATS 4 to guarantee a luminance level that meets the needs of the drivers in real time to ensure their safety.

Depending on the time of day or night, the speed of traffic or the amount of natural daylight, the system adjusts the light levels of the luminaires to comply with Canadian lighting standards and maximise user safety. By adapting the light levels to what is absolutely necessary, the lighting installation consumes less energy to reduce costs.

The ATS 4 also constantly monitors the luminaires to instantly report any potential failures and optimise operational efficiencies as technicians will know what to expect if called out.
 

Sustainable tunnel lighting 

The Ministry of Transportation Quebec is happy with the results of the tunnel lighting for the first phase of this major renovation plan. It has contributed to creating a safe and comfortable tunnel environment for motorists while enabling them to ensure operational efficiencies, lower lifecycle costs and achieve sustainability goals.