Louisville drivers left in the dark as copper thefts delay highway repairs

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — If you’ve driven on Interstate around Louisville at night, you’ve probably noticed something missing — lights.

Video, shot earlier this week by WDRB web producer Paige Thompson, shows what she sees every night on her commute: long stretches of darkness. It’s been this way for years. The only section lit up is where the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet installed solar-powered lights about a year ago.

A few weeks ago, a special copper wire theft task force announced the arrest of seven people accused of stealing from both public and private property. Three of those suspects are believed to have stolen wire from a TRIMARC traffic sign in 2023.

Copper wire theft along Louisville’s interstates wasn’t a major problem until 2020. But since then, KYTC says it’s become a costly and dangerous issue.

According to state transportation officials, thieves often remove protective covers from light poles and access points, then return later to pull out the wiring.

In an email obtained by WDRB, one district engineer warned of the risks thieves are taking, writing:

“Not only are we losing precious assets, I’m afraid someone will get killed trying to steal wire when it is energized.”

Over the past two years, WDRB has reported extensively on the lack of lighting along the city’s interstates. KYTC says repair work is ongoing, but progress has been slow due to repeated theft and damage.

“Some locations cannot yet be energized due to the extent of damage caused by thieves,” a spokesperson said. “We are currently evaluating the solar-powered lighting we installed at select interchanges.”

Another WDRB staffer, photojournalist Zebonique Petties, captured video along Interstate 64 eastbound coming out of downtown Louisville. Her dash-mounted phone recorded nearly total darkness, except for a few repaired lights near the Cochran Hill Tunnel. KYTC installed LED lights inside the tunnel four years ago, but once drivers exit, the roadway quickly fades into black for miles.

And it’s not just I-64. WDRB web producer Kelaiah King shot similar footage traveling from I-64 onto Interstate 264 — miles of dark highway with no working lights.

In a statement to WDRB last year, KYTC said limited funding and persistent theft have made it difficult to restore lighting systems:

“With limited funding available, we are focused on maintaining lighting systems, where possible, until a solution can be found to combat the continual theft of copper wire.”

For now, that solution hasn’t come — and Louisville drivers are still left navigating miles of interstate in the dark.

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