West Jefferson Traffic Light and Street Light Question

**mtburb** · June-04-14, 02:42 PM

How old are the traffic lights along West Jefferson Avenue in River Rouge, Ecorse and Wyandotte? I'm thinking they must be at least 20 years old [[mostly). Also, how old are the curved-head street lights themselves along Jefferson in River Rouge and Ecorse? I need to know what could be seen on that street around 1989.

**DetroitPlanner** · June-04-14, 02:48 PM

I would call the DPW's and ask.

**Detroitnerd** · June-04-14, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by mtburb

How old are the traffic lights along West Jefferson Avenue in River Rouge, Ecorse and Wyandotte? I'm thinking they must be at least 20 years old [[mostly). Also, how old are the curved-head street lights themselves along Jefferson in River Rouge and Ecorse? I need to know what could be seen on that street around 1989.

You mean cobrahead lamps?

**Detroit Signal** · June-05-14, 02:14 PM

I would say that most of the cobra head streetlights were probably there. The 8"-lens signals were probably installed in the early 1980s [[They are first-generation plastic signals manufactured by Eagle Signal). Any of the 12"-lens signals that are there now were probably 8" signals back then- either aluminum signals or plastic.

**Detroit Signal** · June-05-14, 02:16 PM

**mtburb** · June-05-14, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by Detroit Signal

*an Outer Drive-related story from the 1970's or 1980's*

Appropriately enough, this video begins right along the part of West Jefferson we're talking about here-how old is this video? Every street sign appearing here has since been replaced. Even the Harbor Theater has been torn down and replaced by a church-which was later ironically torn down as well for a vacant lot that was supposed to be a CVS that never came to fruition. At 0:53, this is actually along the Allen Park/Dearborn limit-you see a brief glimpse of another long-gone landmark-the old VA Hospital. Plus, you can also get a brief glimpse at a Kmart sign a few seconds earlier-that's now a megachurch.

**Detroit Signal** · June-05-14, 03:14 PM

I think 1983 or so?? Pretty funny piece by Erik Smith. Thought you guys would enjoy.

**mtburb** · June-07-14, 08:47 AM

Originally Posted by Detroit Signal

I would say that most of the cobra head streetlights were probably there. The 8"-lens signals were probably installed in the early 1980s [[They are first-generation plastic signals manufactured by Eagle Signal). Any of the 12"-lens signals that are there now were probably 8" signals back then- either aluminum signals or plastic.

Were they all already hung from span wires back then or were some still hung from the suspended mast arms?

**Detroit Signal** · June-07-14, 09:35 PM

Anything aluminum would have been mast arms. Plastic signals were all hung by span wire on that stretch of Jefferson as far as I can tell. I'll post 2 links, one of an aluminum signal and one of a plastic signal.