The Town of Chapel Hill and Hillsborough are both transitioning to install LED street lighting fixtures in their respective downtowns.

The towns shared releases this week alerting residents of the changes and the resulting traffic patterns motorists may see during the installation. Both local governments are replacing the mercury vapor lights with more energy-efficient LED methods, which both towns said promote more environmental consciousness.

Hillsborough said in its message the initial wave of replacements will happen to the existing poles along King Street between the area of the former Colonial Inn and Cameron Street. Duke Energy crews are slated to begin working on Monday, May 4, and will have flaggers routing traffic around work crews as needed.

The town said its estimated the project will be complete by June 19. In its message, Hillsborough said the project will eventually include light poles along Churton Street between Tryon and Nash and Kollack streets and those in its police department’s parking lot.

Meanwhile, the Town of Chapel Hill has already begun its replacement of fixtures on major streets. The local government announced the change in February, saying around 2,000 public lights will be converted to LED. The work on this change, also conducted by Duke Energy crews, is estimated to be completed by the end of May.

Following the change to LED on major street fixtures, the Town of Chapel Hill plans to also convert other street lights. The town council has not yet approved changing the lights in residential neighborhoods on decorative street light poles.

Photo via the Town of Chapel Hill.

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