Constructed on the N329 provincial highway near Oss (Province of Noord-Brabant), the project is currently being trialled with the intention of an official launch later this month and uses a paint containing a “photo-luminising” compound to give a steady green glow after dark.

The project sees artist Daan Roosegaarde team up with civil engineering firm Heijmans, helped by advice and financing from the Brabant Knowledge Centre for the Arts and Culture (bkkc).

Speaking to the BBC, Mr Roosegaarde said the paint could emit a steady glow for up to eight hours and is intended to be safe as well as engendering a ‘more self-sustainable and more interactive world’.

The pilot will be rolled out over the coming five years as the initial component of the Smart Highway and will be expanded internationally in 2014.