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The Museum
of Road Signs and Signals
and street lighting
Sauvetage
Autoroute E17, Rekkem
Mars 2024
Since the early 60s, the Belgian Ministry of Public Works decided to equip the country's roads and motorways with illuminated signs. This led to the appearance of a multitude of signs illuminated with fluorescent tubes. The entire country was equipped, and thousands of these signs of varying sizes were installed. Let's not forget that this equipment required major installation work: power supply, distribution cabins, civil engineering work (trenches, underground equipment, etc.) and maintenance. For decades, special services were dedicated to maintaining this equipment. Since 2010-2015, this equipment has been dismantled and replaced by modern signals.
On the E17 motorway (formerly E3), near Rekkem (customs post, French border), a B1 signal remained until February 2024, the presence of which had been somewhat forgotten even by the road administration.
The attention of the MuSé was drawn to this signal. An investigation was carried out and the owner was identified. After being contacted, the Agentschap wegen en verkeer (Flemish Region, roads and traffic agency) agreed to dismantle the set and make it available from its depots.
This signal, discovered in 2009 on
Google Maps.
We found it carefully stored in the depot. It is waiting to be picked up by the MuSé.
On 12 April 2024, a MuSé team arrived at the Agentschap wegen en verkeer to take possession of this precious heritage. "Precious", because the signal dates back to 1972 and is very probably part of the first generation of light signals to appear on the Belgian road network. It was manufactured by Socallight in Nijlen.
Start by disconnecting the electrical cables from the pole base.
Then cut the mast just below the signal. It was not possible to recover the mast.
The separation operation was a delicate one, as the signal had to be undamaged once the section of pole had been completed.
Fabulous!
Thanks to the Agentschap wegen en verkeer... This signal has been in place for 52 years!
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