Some of Detroit's New Streetlights Dimming, Burning Out

Officials say some of Detroit's new LED streetlights are prematurely dimming and burning out in parts of the city and thousands more could fail.

The Detroit News reports a letter from the Public Lighting Authority's law firm says problems were discovered last fall with units made by San Jose, California-based Leotek Electronics USA that were "charred, burned, or cracked." The lighting authority sued Monday in federal court.

Leotek made about one-third of Detroit's new lights and they were expected to last at least a decade. It acknowledged problems in a letter to the lighting authority, apologized and pledged to work with Detroit to correct problems.

The Associated Press left a message Tuesday seeking comment from Leotek.

The last of Detroit's 65,000 new LED streetlights were installed in 2016 as part of a $185 million program that was hailed as a success in the city's turnaround efforts.