Bulbs in light fixtures along Connecticut highways turn purple due to defect

It’s a mystery on Connecticut highways: purple lights lining the roads. The lamp posts with purple bulbs have been spotted in two locations casting off a violet glow.

“It just looks weird,” Clark Alejambrino, of West Hartford, said.

Some drivers are wondering what is behind the lights. If you have been driving late at night, you may have come across the scene that almost looks like a tribute to Prince’s “Purple Rain.” Dozens of light fixtures are emitting the blue light effect.

“It was very eerie,” Kristopher Marques, of West Hartford, said. “You’d just be driving and then this purple glow, as you drive down the lanes. It was a little just unsettling for me."

It is not a celebration of any sports team or a nod to charity. Instead, the Department of Transportation says the purple bulbs are part of a defective batch sent out around the country, including Connecticut.

“Unfortunately, there's a manufacturer defect in some of the lights that we've installed, that after a period of a year or two, instead of being that nice, bright white, that nice highway illumination, they're failing and turning to a purple hue,” Josh Morgan, DOT spokesperson, said.

The purple paths have been spotted at two locations: on Route 2 near Glastonbury and Route 9 near Berlin. While it changes the hue of the roadway, the DOT says these lights do not pose a safety hazard.

“This is an aesthetic issue, not a safety issue,” Morgan said. “Obviously, if there was any risk of damaging the light posts that are out there, creating a fire hazard, creating any hazard for motorists or people out on the roadway, we spring into action and replace that immediately."

Behind the violet tinge are Acuity Brands LED bulbs, made between June of 2017 and June of 2019. The DOT ordered 5,000 of the bulbs in 2020 and 2021 as part of its commitment to eventually replace all highway fixtures with energy efficient LED bulbs.

In Connecticut, there are 100 lamp posts reported to have defective bulbs. Each fixture costs $300. So far, replacement will cost $30,000.

“All those will be done at the cost of the manufacturer,” Morgan said.

Morgan says the DOT will wait until the end of the year to see if more lights change hues, then work with the manufacturer on replacement.

Neil Egan, an Acuity Brands spokesperson, tells NBC Connecticut the company will cover replacement for lights still under warranty. An Acuity Brans statement reads in full:

“The referenced “blue light” effect is due to a spectral shift caused by phosphor displacement seen years after initial installation. The blue light effect occurred in a small percentage of our total population of AEL® branded fixtures, and we are not the only lighting manufacturer that has experienced this issue. This light output is in no way harmful or unsafe and we no longer use the light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that caused this spectral shift.

Acuity Brands utilizes state-of-the-art LED components from top tier manufacturers and has the strategic supply chain and engineering processes in place to ensure that our products continue to provide industry leading performance.

“As always, we stand behind the quality of our products, and we have been proactively working with customers who have been affected by this issue to address and satisfactorily resolve any concerns. Our customer service team is available for any questions customers may have.”

The drivers that spoke to NBC Connecticut say they are willing to handle the purple hue for now.

“I don’t think I’d be too distracted by them. So I don’t think it’s a big safety concern,” Alejambrino said.

They say they are in favor of the state’s shift to LED lighting that is expected to lead to 50% energy savings.

“I love that they are putting in these LED lights overall, because it’s just much better for the drivers,” Marques said.

If drivers spot any more of the purple lights, the DOT wants to hear about it. You can call or go online to report more defective bulbs in other locations.