WisDOT: Manufacturer defect causes purple-blue lights on highway

The Department of Transportation said more than 400 lights in southeast Wisconsin will need to be replaced

The Department of Transportation said more than 400 lights in southeast Wisconsin will need to be replaced

THAT’S RIGHT PATRICK WHEN THEY WERE FIRST INSTALLED OVER A YEAR AGO. THEY WERE A NORMAL WHITE COLOR. NOW AS YOU CAN SEE HEER BEHIND ME. THEY’VE CHANGED TO A PURPLE BLUE COLOR. IF YOU’RE DRIVING INTO MILWAUKEE ON I-43 YROU EYES AREN’T DECEIVING YOU. IT’S REALLY HARDIF DFERENT COLORS SOME WHITE SOME PURPLE EVEN BLUE HUE MAY LOOK A LITETL MYSTERIOUS. THE DEPARTMENTF O TRANSPORTATION SAYS THE MOODY LIGHTINGAS W NOT PLANNED. WE HAD INSLLTAED A NUMBER OF NEW LIGHTS OVER THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS AND THERE WAS A BATCH OF THE LIGHTS TTHA PRODUCED AND SHIPPED TO US AMONG OTHERS THAT WERE FLAWED THE DOT SAYS WNHE THE LED LIGHTS WERE INSTALLED ABOUT6 1 MONTHS AGO. THEY GAVE OFF THE NORMAL WHITE LIT,GH BUT WITHIN A YEAR THEIR TRUE COLORS STARTED SHINING THROUGH ALMOST EVERY DAY. THERE WOULD BE TWO OR THREE MORE LIGHTS THAT WOULD SUDDENLY SHIFT EROV TO THAT OFF COROL NOW MORE THAN 400 LIGHTS WITH THE DEFECT IN SOUTHEAST, WISCONSIN. WILL PLACE THE DOT SAYS ONCE TH EY IDENTIFY HOW MANY LIGHTS ARE DEFECTIVE DUKE ENERGY THE COMPANY THAT MADE THE WLIL PAY FOR NEW ONES TO BE INSTALLED. THEY DO PUT OUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF LIGHTS. SO FROM SAFETY. IT’S STILL LIGHTING UP THE ROADWAY THE WAY THAT WE WANTED TO SO, YOU KNOW HERE IN THE URBAN AREA. YOU’RE STILL GETTING A PROPERLY LIT FREAYEW WHAT YOU’RE NOT GETTING IS THE RIGHT PEROW COMING OUT OF IT. IT’S DEFINITELY A DIFFERENT LOOK CAROLINE. THIS ISN’T JUST HAPPENING HE.ER RIGHT DUKE ENERGY THATING HE.ER MANUFACTURER THEY SUPPLY THOSE LIGHTS ACROSS THE STATE OF WISCONSIN AS WELL AS OTHER STATES THAT TOO SO THEY’RE ALL DEALING WITH THE SAME. THAT WE ARE THE DOT DID NOT HAVE AN EXACT TIMELINE

WisDOT: Manufacturer defect causes purple-blue lights on highway

The Department of Transportation said more than 400 lights in southeast Wisconsin will need to be replaced

If you've driven into Milwaukee recently on I-43 or I-94, you've likely noticed some different color lights. No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, the lights really are a purple-bluish color. It may look a little mysterious, but the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said the moody lighting was not planned. "We had installed a number of new lights over the past number of years and there was a batch of the lights that were produced and shipped to us, among others, that were flawed," said Michael Pyrtiz, regional communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation southeast region. "They were fine when they went in, but over a short period of time, they started showing that blue or purplish color."Pyritz said the defective LED lights, which were installed about 16-months ago, were supposed to last eight to 10 years. Within one year, however, their true colors shined through. "Almost every day, there'd suddenly be two or three more lights that would suddenly shift over to that off-color," Pyritz said. Pyrtiz said more there are more than 400 lights with the defect in the southeast Wisconsin region. He said once the DOT identifies how many lights have the defect, they will take them all out and install new lights in one large sweep. Pyrtiz said the manufacturer that supplied the lights, Duke Energy, will cover the cost."They're manufacturing proper lights, they're going to be paying for them, shipping them to us and getting them reinstalled, once we identify all the different locations where those lights went out," Pyritz said. Pyritz said the purple lights still put out the same amount of light as the white bulbs did, but just aren't the same standard they usually use. He also said there is a risk, if they are defective now, they may burn out sooner than they should. Pyritz said the rest of the state is dealing with the same issue, from the same supplier. He said other states that bought lights from the same supplier are also dealing with the purple hues.There is no definitive timeline as to when the DOT will replace the lights. So for now, the purple lights remain.

MILWAUKEE —

If you've driven into Milwaukee recently on I-43 or I-94, you've likely noticed some different color lights.

No, your eyes aren't deceiving you, the lights really are a purple-bluish color.

It may look a little mysterious, but the Wisconsin Department of Transportation said the moody lighting was not planned.

"We had installed a number of new lights over the past number of years and there was a batch of the lights that were produced and shipped to us, among others, that were flawed," said Michael Pyrtiz, regional communications manager for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation southeast region. "They were fine when they went in, but over a short period of time, they started showing that blue or purplish color."

Pyritz said the defective LED lights, which were installed about 16-months ago, were supposed to last eight to 10 years.

Within one year, however, their true colors shined through.

"Almost every day, there'd suddenly be two or three more lights that would suddenly shift over to that off-color," Pyritz said.

Pyrtiz said more there are more than 400 lights with the defect in the southeast Wisconsin region.

He said once the DOT identifies how many lights have the defect, they will take them all out and install new lights in one large sweep.

Pyrtiz said the manufacturer that supplied the lights, Duke Energy, will cover the cost.

"They're manufacturing proper lights, they're going to be paying for them, shipping them to us and getting them reinstalled, once we identify all the different locations where those lights went out," Pyritz said.

Pyritz said the purple lights still put out the same amount of light as the white bulbs did, but just aren't the same standard they usually use.

He also said there is a risk, if they are defective now, they may burn out sooner than they should.

Pyritz said the rest of the state is dealing with the same issue, from the same supplier.

He said other states that bought lights from the same supplier are also dealing with the purple hues.

There is no definitive timeline as to when the DOT will replace the lights.

So for now, the purple lights remain.

WisDOT: Manufacturer defect causes purple-blue lights on highway

The Department of Transportation said more than 400 lights in southeast Wisconsin will need to be replaced

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