The Town of Chapel Hill will soon begin converting about 2,000 public street lights to LED light bulbs.

According to a release from the town on Tuesday, the change will happen on many major streets in Chapel Hill and will cut energy usage from the existing fixtures in half. According to town officials, Duke Energy crews began installing the new LED bulbs on Tuesday, with working hours scheduled to be from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. around the area for several weeks. The release advised motorists to be aware of intermittent lane closures.

The bulbs are an initiative approved by the town last September in an effort to be a more sustainable and resilient community. The town said the switch to energy-efficient LED bulbs will aid its efforts to combat climate change in many ways. The current bulbs are high-pressure sodium, mercury vapor and metal halide light fixtures, with LED bulbs saving more energy. In addition, the new bulbs will last longer and require less repairs, which means waste from maintenance should be reduced.

Chapel Hill also said converting to LED lights will improve illumination and enhance safety around the major streets with its warm, white color.

The town had made the change to LED bulbs around and in government facilities in prior years. Officials reported the move led to the town’s energy bill being reduced for two straight years.

In its release, the town said many street light fixtures in residential ares will not be seeing the change to bulbs. The Chapel Hill Town Council has not yet authorized changing lights in neighborhoods that have decorative light poles.

To learn more on updates about the street light changes, visit the Town of Chapel Hill’s web page on the project.

Photo via Town of Chapel Hill.

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