How does taxiway intersection lighting work?

A taxiway intersection is not lit by a single dedicated fixture type — it is the point where several independent AGL systems overlap, each doing its own job at the same patch of pavement. Taxiway edge lights trace the full outline of the paved surface, including around the corner radius where one taxiway meets another, so the usable pavement shape stays visible at night or in low visibility exactly as it does on a straight section.

Taxiway centreline lights do not stop at the intersection — they curve smoothly through it, following the intended taxi path rather than jumping straight across, and their spacing is reduced on the curve to keep the guidance dense enough for a pilot to track the bend accurately. ICAO Annex 14 gives a spacing of up to 30 m on straight sections (15 m where the runway visual range is below 350 m). On a curve the spacing depends on the radius: 7.5 m under 400 m radius, 15 m for 401 to 899 m and 30 m from 900 m, with the 7.5 m spacing extended 60 m before and after the tightest curves on taxiways used in RVR below 350 m. Where the intersection is complex enough to cause route confusion, or where ATC needs traffic to hold at a specific point within it, a clearance bar or intermediate holding-position lights are added on top of this base layer — they mark a location, they don't replace the centreline or edge lighting already guiding the aircraft through.