Singapore is Testing Out Glow-in-the-Dark Pathways

In an effort to make evening walks on a renovated pathway more convenient, Singapore has started testing a system that will make its roads illuminate in the dark.

The trail, which used to be a portion of an abandoned railway track, is being converted by local government agencies into a walkway as part of a huge project to develop the area.

💡This track section along the Rail Corridor glows in the dark, in a trial to make it safer and more accessible. It is part of a 400m-long “test track” located between Choa Chu Kang Road and Upper Bukit Timah Road, which has been open to the public since July 12. Read on with link in bio, or here: http://str.sg/4D8s PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO #singapore #igsg #sgig #railcorridor #glowinthedark #track

A post shared by The Straits Times (@straits_times) on Jul 23, 2017 at 8:20pm PDT

A former railway connecting Singapore to Malaysia closed in 2011, the Rail Corridor extends from the city center to the north of the island. The new project includes the creation of parks and public housing in the stretch of the trail.

According to Mashable, making the path glow in the dark is an innovation the team behind the Rail Corridor project would like to try.

To make the track glow, the team embedded strontium aluminate compounds in the pavement. As the added chemical is known to emit luminescence, the road is expected to light up in the dark.

For the test, an initial 100-meter (328 ft) long stretch has been fitted with the material.The success of the tests will determine if the material will be used across the 24 km (15 mi) long project.

After numerous attempt to take a good shot at the glow in the dark trial along rail corridor.. This is my first and the best shot, subsequent shots all cannot make it.. #railcorridor #glowinthedark

A post shared by ChunYong Wong 黄镇勇 (@cyw0ng) on Jul 25, 2017 at 6:38am PDT

The agencies are testing the current build to ensure if the material would be suited for the trail by conducting evaluations on the materials’ durability. They will also be seeking the public’s feedback on the trial path.

Unfortunately, visitors to the site have revealed that the trail currently emits an underwhelming glow. Most pictures online had to be manipulated with a longer exposure time just to capture the supposed “glow” from the road.

A post shared by Tan Chin Siang (@jagtcs) on Jul 26, 2017 at 5:52am PDT

“I was hoping it was bright enough to see my face,” a resident near the site told Mashable. “[It’s] slightly underwhelming.”

“I think it’s quite interesting for this area as a test bed for all this material,” another resident expressed.

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