Northeast Mixmaster
(I-80/35/235)

The vision

Safer conditions at a busy highway interchange

The Northeast Mixmaster is an interchange at the junction of three interstate highways (I-35/80/235) on the northeast corner of Des Moines. The Iowa Department of Transportation (Iowa DOT) is redesigning several bridges and ramps to improve traffic control and flow. They wanted a reliable and easy-to-maintain roadway lighting solution that provides a safer environment for drivers and construction crews at this busy junction, which sees upwards of 150,000 vehicles a day.

The solution

Roadway lighting solutions from Musco

The Iowa DOT has worked with Musco on other high-mast lighting projects. They chose Musco as lighting partner for the Northeast Mixmaster. Initial designs by HDR Engineering showed the current and future locations of high-mast towers and shorter roadway columns. Musco worked from that site layout to deliver a multifaceted, versatile LED roadway lighting system. The result met all the Iowa DOT’s goals and is backed by a comprehensive 10-year warranty.

Reduced light spill and minimal glare

Musco’s factory-aimed TLC for LED® luminaires are mounted to high-mast towers. These luminaires provide uniform illumination along the roadway with minimal light spill. They also provide a safer and more comfortable driving experience, with patented visoring and pinpoint light control that virtually eliminate glare. Third-party LED equipment was mounted to shorter roadway columns to better accommodate the lower mounting heights.

Easy to maintain

With Musco’s system, electrical components are in remote enclosures and mounted to the tower just above grade. This allows workers to service the lights without a lift or crane. It also eliminates the need for lowering rings to bring the fixtures to the ground. This simplifies maintenance and increases overall system reliability.

Built to DOT specs

Project specifications required high-mast towers to be made of corten steel, also known as weathering steel. In partnership with Valmont® Structures, Musco developed a custom poletop solution that allowed TLC for LED® luminaires to be mounted to corten steel columns.

Guaranteed results and reliability

Musco stands behind its work with a Constant 10™ warranty that eliminates all maintenance costs and concerns for a decade – as well as provides expert support from a network of more than 1000 qualified contractors and regionally based technicians.