The poles in question are scattered through downtown Syracuse. Specifically the ones with what they call mast arms, with traffic lights dangling from them. After an inspection, city engineers find that four poles have serious signs of deterioration. That was not good news for people walking through downtown Friday night.

The city looked at 35 poles Friday, and four are not good enough to leave as is. Engineers recommend either replacing the poles altogether or taking some of the load off, to make them safe. Public Works Commissioner Jeff Wright says those problem poles were installed some time during the 1980s. He says there will be immediate action to protect the public.

Inspectors are focusing on the business district downtown, where most of those types of poles exist. There are 140 intersections, each with multiple steel poles holding up traffic lights. There are plans to look at similar ones around the city. People want those inspections done quickly.

The city will be looking at the costs of replacing or adjusting the traffic poles as early as Saturday. And by next week, people should see workers all around the city fixing up what needs to be fixed.