AASHTO Journal, 7 November 2014
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and state police are offering a reward of up to $2,500 from road maintenance funds to fight copper wire theft they say has cost taxpayers more than $2 million in highway lighting damages in the past four years.
“The crime of copper wire theft from lights that illuminate our roadways is literally highway robbery of Kentucky drivers,” said KSP Major Mike Crawford. “This type of theft results in damage that far exceeds the salvage value of the wire.”
The agencies offered the bounty for information leading to arrest and conviction of those responsible for the wire thefts from highway lights. They also urged metal recyclers to help identify anyone trying to sell the stolen copper.
Nancy Albright, KYTC deputy highway engineer in charge of operations and maintenance, said just in 2014 thieves have taken wire from entrance and exit ramp lights on Kentucky’s interstate highways at least 37 times.
She said that can increase safety risks for drivers trying to navigate unfamiliar lanes in greater darkness. And because the cost of repairs comes from the cabinet’s highway maintenance budget, Albright said “motor-fuels tax money that Kentucky drivers pay at the pump – money that we need for such work as snow and ice removal, potholes and guardrail repair – instead has to be spent to remediate crime scenes.”
KYTC Acting Inspector General Mike Duncan said that only authorized work crews should be tending to interstate lights, “and a legitimate crew will be easy to recognize.”
They will be in clearly marked vehicles from KYTC or its two lighting contractors – Arrow Electric Co. and Davis H. Elliott Co. The workers would be in protection gear including high-visibility clothes and hard hats, likely with some level of traffic control such as orange traffic cones.
The public outreach effort included ways for people with information about the wire thefts to contact authorities; those include calling the state police hotline at 800-222-5555, or KYTC’s Office of Inspector General at 502-330-0441 or 502-564-0501.