BATON ROUGE, La. – The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) announced today that the False River Regional Airport received the 2012 Illuminating Engineering Society/ Aviation Lighting Committee (IES/ALC) Award for Excellence for design and implementation of a solar-powered airfield lighting circuit at the False River Regional Airport.” The award was presented by the Aviation Committee of the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America at an awards luncheon on December 12.

            The award was presented to the owners of the airport – the False River Airpark Commission, the City of New Roads, and Pointe Coupee Parish – in addition to Yvonne Chenevert, False River Regional airport manager, and Allen Taylor, DOTD Airway Systems Manager. Taylor was the lighting system designer for the project, which was a partnership between the airport, DOTD and ADB Airfield Solutions.

            Chenevert said, “We at the False River Regional Airport are honored to have been chosen for this award. I am so proud of this innovative airfield lighting system, which provides a safer, more reliable technology for our facility. I am grateful, as well, for our partnership with the state, which helped to make this possible.”

            The False River Regional Airport is the first world-wide general aviation airport to utilize this type of technology in the field. The system consists of 160 LED taxiway edge lights that are installed flush with the ground. The LED lighting fixtures use Pulse-Width Modulation Technology (PWM) and are expected to last between 50 years or more, with a rated lifespan of approximately 100,000-200,000 hours. Each of the 160 traditional taxiway edge lighting system fixtures being replaced with LED were elevated and contained a quartz bulb using 45 watts with a rated lifespan of only 1,000 hours. The LED taxiway lighting system is totally powered by a solar panel, but it can also function with electrical power or diesel generator back-up, if necessary. The solar panels charge a battery bank which can power the system up to ten days with little or no sunlight. The system has been operating successfully on solar power since May 2010.

            The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (DOTD) is committed to delivering transportation and public works systems that enhance the quality of life. In addition to more than 16,600 miles of roadway, including over 890 miles of interstate, DOTD supports the development of the state’s aviation, marine and rail infrastructures. Through this work, we are able to facilitate economic development, create job opportunities, improve vital evacuation routes, and make critical freight corridors safer and more efficient.    

            For more information, please visit www.dotd.la.gov, email dotdcs@la.gov, or call DOTD’s Customer Service Center at (225) 379-1232 or 1-877-4LADOTD (1-877-452-3683). Business hours are 7:30 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.

            Motorists can access up-to-date travel information by dialing 511 or by visiting www.511la.org. Out-of-state travelers can call 1-888-ROAD-511 (1-888-762-3511).

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www.dotd.la.gov