Nearly 1,400 lights at around 25 interchanges in Jefferson County have become inoperable after the copper wire within them has been stolen with Louisville interstates seeing the worst impact of these thefts.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is partnering with the Kentucky Department of Homeland Security and Louisville Metro Police to raise awareness for the thefts, with Kentucky Transportation Cabinet even offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet offered a similar reward in 2014 when a rash of copper wire thefts happened in central Kentucky. The $2,500 led to the arrest of two Clark County, Kentucky residents who ultimately pled guilty to theft charges.
Within the past two weeks alone, there have been four reported instances of copper wire theft. Many interchanges have seen repeated thefts that have required multiple repairs. I-264 at Bank Street has needed at least five repairs after copper wire was stolen.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet says since 2020, the cumulative damages from the thefts have cost the taxpayers nearly $1 million.
To report any information about wire thefts at Kentucky interchanges, call the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Office of Inspector General (OIG) Office at 502-330-7506. To report dark intersections, contact the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Traffic Operations Center at 877-FOR-KYTC. For any reports of active crime or suspicious activity, call the anonymous tip line at 502-574-LMPD (5673) or use the LMPD Crime Tip Portal.
Source: WAVE
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