Ramp Lighting Upgrade Project Underway at PHL

The Department of Aviation shines a light on airport safety and sustainability with significant ramp lighting upgrades at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL). Approximately300 new LED lighting fixtures are planned for installation at PHL, above passenger boarding areas at concourses B, C and D. This $13 million project will significantly improve brightness and energy efficiency for enhanced safety and sustainability.

In November 2022, crews started constructing foundations for 50 high mast light poles. The team will replace over 100 high mast flood lights with high-output LED lighting fixtures, enhancing safety for crews servicing aircraft by improving light quality while also reducing energy usage by nearly 55 percent. Additionally, the PHL team is installing nearly 200 LED flood lights on boarding bridges to further boost lighting for crews servicing aircraft.

Project Manager Carl Johnson anticipates minimal impact on airport operations. "Our team regularly coordinates with the airlines on schedules and needs to ensure necessary gate outages can be accommodated with minimal effect on operations," he reports. "Even with planned pauses in the installation schedule for peak holiday and summer travel periods, the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024."

Johnson's team includes the design firms Ohmega and Stantec, as well as construction management support through the Department of Aviation, AECOM, McKissack & McKissack, Envision Consultants, and Pennoni.