Skip to main content

Abacus wins cherished Chinese lighting contract

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.
March 19, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
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.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Rebuilding a historic bridge linking the US and Canada
    March 8, 2016
    While many road authorities in North America are finding it difficult to stretch their bridge assets beyond half a century, one bridge is closing in on its centenary - David Arminas reports The international Peace Bridge, connecting the Canadian province of Ontario with the US state of New York, is 88 years young this year, and still going strong.
  • Kosovo's award-winning green highway construction
    March 20, 2012
    A new highway is proving an economic lifeline for the tiny country of Kosovo – Mike Woof reports. Road projects in Europe rarely meet such widespread public approval and support as the new Route 7 highway being built in the new Balkan state of Kosovo. The first sections of the new road opened to traffic in November 2011, with locals turning out in large numbers to celebrate the event. The official opening was carried out by the country’s prime minister Hashim Thaçi, president Atifete Jahjaga, and members of
  • Advanced technologies will increase the wear life of bitumen further
    February 28, 2012
    Bitumen has been used for thousands of years, but now a wide variety of products are available that can be added to it to produce blends with improved properties. According to the Refined Bitumen Association (RBA) bitumen is the oldest known engineering material. Indeed, the organisation says that its versatility as a construction material is unparalleled, and having been used as an adhesive, sealant and waterproofing agent for over 8,000 years, its uses include the construction and maintenance of roads, ai
  • Singapore road and tunnel contracts awarded
    May 29, 2018
    Contracts to construct new stretches of road and tunnels forming part of the North-South Corridor (NSC) project have been awarded by Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA). When complete in 2026, the NSC will improve connections between Singapore’s city centre and its northern areas. The link will be Singapore’s first integrated transport link, combining the new road connection for motor vehicles with dedicated bus lanes and cycling facilities. A contract worth close to US$603 million will be carried