The process of replacing sodium luminaires with LED is one of the most important developments initiated by Chillán in the 2023 period, which has been waiting for years marked by a judicial investigation due to corrupt situations that affected the bidding process during the previous administration.
Last June, the municipality signed a contract with the Spanish company Elecner Chile, which led to the installation process that began in October, encroaching on the periphery and towards the center of the commune with a great sense of insecurity.
Approximately 7 thousand lights have been installed till date, which represents 50% progress of the total 13,955 luminaires that were to be installed within a six-month period.
“As with any process, there are always details to consider with community queries. However, the important thing is that, as a municipal administration, we were able to implement this project that offers the city two special conditions: more modern and safer,” said Chillán Mayor Camilo Benavente.
The initiative was made possible due to an agreement with Subdere under the Urban Development Investment Programme. The initial investment provided was 3,745,653,347, including taxes, an additional contribution from the aforementioned project was recently added to $335,155,163, making a total of $4,080,808,510.
The first point of public lighting intervention took place last October, on Martín Ruiz de Gamboa and Sepúlveda Bustos avenues, where the first LED lamp installation ceremony took place after the ribbon cutting.
Luis Cruz Martínez, the cities of Zanartu, Vicente Pérez, the cities around the Municipal Stadium, the city of 20 de Agosto are the sectors that have already completed the replacement.
On December 6, during her visit to the regional capital, the Minister of the Interior, Carolina Doha, witnessed the progress of the project and, on that occasion, noted that Chillán will become the first city in the country to have LED lights. The whole community.
„Streets and night are considered points of greatest restlessness and insecurity for people, so when we bring light to the streets, we give people more peace of mind,” he opined.
According to the municipality, the main advantages of the wholesale replacement of LED lights will be better nighttime brightness, which will contribute to better visibility for cyclists and motorists, and above all, it will increase pedestrian safety. Also, by replacing the new LED lights, savings will be achieved for the municipality in maintenance and replacement, but above all it will create a sense of security for the Silaneja community.
In detail, 90-watt P1 spotlights are suitable for avenues, 42-watt P2 for streets, and 28 watts for P3 passages.
„We hope to see the city's urban landscape light up with a whole new technology in the coming weeks,” said the mayor.