Albuquerque will repair and convert to LED all of its Route 66-themed neon archways and signs by June, including a defective one on the city’s west side has read “Route 6” instead of “Route 66” for almost a year.
KOAT-TV in Albuquerque reports the repairs and conversion will cost the city about $151,000. Repairs on one of the Route 66 archways over Central Avenue began this week.
Although the problem was known last year, the city didn’t convert to LED lighting right away because of the steep upfront cost. Although more expensive than regular glass-tubing neon lighting, LEDs are more energy-efficient and durable.
An earlier report said repairs to regular neon lighting on the archways and signs were costing the city $25,000 a year to repair.
Expect more of this conversion from neon to LED along Route 66 in the coming years. And the technology and aesthetics of LED continue to improve each year.
(Screen capture from KRQE-TV’s report in August 2015 about the Albuquerque Route 66 archway)
I’m really glad I don’t live in Albuquerque any more. I was there this past fall and Central (Rt 66) looks more like a wasteland than it did 20 yrs ago.
Replace neon with LED? Like replacing oil paints with tempra.