The Finnish Railways Agency is preparing for partial shutdowns of road lighting
The Finnish Railways Agency is prepared for the fact that during the winter it may be necessary to temporarily turn off part of the road lighting to prevent a possible power shortage. The goal of participating in energy saving talks is to avoid electricity shortages and forced power outages in situations where electricity production is not sufficient to meet demand. Efforts are made to minimize the traffic safety effects of possible shutdowns.

Together with the regional ELY centers, the Väylävirasto is responsible for approximately 78 kilometers of roads, of which approximately 000 kilometers are lit with a total of 12 lamps. Electricity is used for road lighting, which can be in short supply during the winter. That is why we have also prepared to participate in energy saving talks regarding road lighting, especially with regard to consumption peaks.
- During a possible frost period in winter or a disturbance in energy production, you may find yourself in a situation where the electricity production is not enough to cover the need. The opportunity for each operator to reduce consumption, especially in the mornings and evenings, is of paramount importance, so that there are no forced power outages. A pre-planned and controlled turn off of road lighting is a better option in terms of social impact, says the branch manager of road maintenance Virpi Anttila From the Railway Agency.
Even under normal circumstances, road lighting is turned off at night on low-traffic roads, that is, the technical readiness for turning off is there. Additional preparations have also been made for the coming winter, so that the lights can be turned off remotely, if necessary, according to certain lighting groups and road sections.
The savings brought by partial shutdowns would be quite significant. The electricity demand for street lighting on roads is calculated to be around 43 megawatts. If half of it is turned off, it would cover about five percent of the potential 400 megawatt power shortfall in the entire country's electricity production.
Traffic safety is taken care of
Traffic safety is taken into account in possible shutdowns. Outages aim, for example, to avoid urban areas with a lot of pedestrian and bicycle traffic. They also want to keep the lights on in intersections and tunnels to ensure safety.
If there is a threat of electricity shortage, the lights would be switched off in the mornings around 7-9 and in the early evening around 16-19pm, i.e. in accordance with electricity consumption peaks. In addition, the surroundings of schools, for example, have been mapped: morning extinguishing would be avoided for them, but evening extinguishing could be done.
- Each of us can do our part to influence safety and thus participate in the talks if the lights have to be turned off. For example, reflectors and bike lights should be taken care of in good condition in the dark. While behind the wheel of a car, a sufficiently low speed is key, reminds the leading expert in road safety Noora Airaksinen From the Railway Agency.
For more information:
Branch manager Virpi Anttila, Väylävirasto phone 029 534 3642 first name.surname@vayla.fi
Leading road safety expert Noora Airaksinen, Väylävirasto phone 029 534 3494 first name.surname@vayla.fi
News published 2.12.2022, modified 8.12.2022/08/19 at XNUMX:XNUMX