MD80 FLT CREW EXPERIENCES NOSE GEAR STEERING FAILURE WHEN FORCED TO MAKE SHARP TURN DUE TO ENCOUNTERING UNLIT TRAFFIC CONES BLOCKING THEIR MOVEMENT DURING NIGHT TAXI AT DTW.

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CAPT WAS PF. FULLY BRIEFED VISUAL RWY 22L BACKED UP BY ILS WITH A PLANNED EXIT AT Y9. CAPT MADE SMOOTH LNDG AND DECELERATION; EXITING AS PLANNED AT Y9; PROCEEDING ONTO K9 AND L (NEBOUND) ON TXWY K. TWR CLRED US TO TAXI TO THE GATE AND TO STAY WITH HIM; NOT SPECIFYING A RTE TO THE GATE. HDG NE ON TXWY K; WE SUDDENLY AND UNEXPECTEDLY NOTICED UNLIT TFC CONES ACROSS TXWY K AT K11 AND THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP. THERE WAS SUFFICIENT ROOM TO MAKE THE 90 DEGS (SWBOUND) ONTO TXWY Y BUT DURING THE SLOW L TURN THE CAPT RPTED THE TILLER TURNED MORE THAN 90 DEGS AND BECAME JAMMED. IN ADDITION; IT FELT AS THOUGH THE JAMMED NOSEWHEEL SKIDDED APPROX 1 FT BEFORE WE CAME TO A COMPLETE STOP. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS; NON SPECIFIC NOTAMS ON ATIS; VAGUE TAXI CLRNC BY A MULTI-TASKING TWR CTLR; AND MOST IMPORTANTLY; UNLIT TFC CONES IN THE MIDDLE OF A TXWY AT NIGHT. WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE DID NOT FOD AN ENG. SUGGEST THAT DTW TWR GIVE MORE SPECIFIC TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND UTILIZE LIGHTED MARKERS WHEN CLOSING TXWYS AT NIGHT.