4028  Abacus has won a prestigious contract from the Hong Kong Highways  Department.  The UK-based company will manufacture and supply nearly 2,500 of their  patented raising and lowering lighting columns as part of a project to  light a number of city roads throughout China’s New Territories East  Region.    Originally designed for the railway industry in the 1960s, Abacus says  the firm’s raising and lowering column is now found on nearly every  station platform across the UK, as well as in sports stadia, airports,  ports and major construction projects across the world.  Abacus’s vice chairman in Shanghai, Luise Schafer said: "By the very  nature of the highways environment, maintenance personnel can be at risk  when carrying out their duties at height. The raising and lowering  system provides safe and controlled lowering of the column via a spring  or hydraulic counterbalance, allowing essential maintenance work to be  carried out at ground level, thereby improving health and safety  conditions."     As an approved supplier to the 1338  Hong Kong Highways Department, Abacus has  already completed a number of prestigious installations throughout  China, including Shanghai Pudong International Airport. It is also  putting the final touches to an apron lighting scheme at the country’s  largest new airport construction project, Kunming New International  Airport.  Schafer added: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this contract as it  reinforces Abacus’ leading position in road lighting projects in Hong  Kong.  “The Highways Department has already placed the order for the complete  number of columns and we will manufacture and dispatch the required  quantities as the project progresses. This ‘call off’ method is very  good bread and butter business for the company and we value this  relationship very much.”  The new highways contract follows the recent opening of Abacus’ new  offices in the much admired Gateway East building in Singapore.   Shanghai Abacus Lighting’s brand new production facility in the Fengxian  District was officially opened in October 2011 by HRH the Duke of York.