The historic dam in the Netherlands received a futuristic and environmentally friendly highlight: when a car with lights on is driving through it, lights that do not require electricity are lit. The Afslaytdeyk dam, 30 km long and 90 m wide, was built at the beginning of the 20th century, blocking the Zuylersee Bay in the North Sea and connecting North Holland and Friesland. The highway A7 passes along it and 20 thousand cars pass every day. Her and decided to first highlight the engineers of the studio Roosegaarde, whose head was the grandson of the architect of the dam Dirk Roosenberg. Specialists of the studio, working on the project Gates of Light, drew inspiration in nature, or rather - in the reflective properties of the wings of butterflies. Engineers decided to repeat this trick by covering the dam with a reflective layer with small prisms that capture and scatter the light of automobile headlights. Thus, the lighting of the road does not require electricity. Gates of Light is part of a larger innovative Icoon Afsluitdijk project, established by the Dutch government, aimed at making all national roads energy neutral by 2030. Among other things, it includes the use of fluorescent algae for lighting and the production of renewable energy using kites, Quartz writes.

Original article: In the Netherlands, lit a 30 km dam without electricity (video).