Some Louisville interstate lighting out once again as copper wire thefts persist

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Copper thieves are being blamed for hundreds of interstate lights that are out in Jefferson County.

The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet is asking the public to help stop the thieves, who are stealing wire from streetlights across the county. The agency is offering a $5,000 reward for information that leads to an arrest.

In a news release on Tuesday, KYTC said the thefts have happened "across numerous spans along all major interstates, with the Louisville Metro area experiencing a severe impact from these crimes."

KYTC said 25 interchanges in Jefferson County are currently inoperable because of the thefts, with some spans targeted shortly after they were repaired.

"Our effort to restore lighting at some locations has been counterproductive as thieves tend to target the same interchange," KYTC Engineer Matt Bullock said.

The agency said there have been four instances of reported copper wire theft over the past two weeks and, since 2020, damages from the thefts have cost nearly $1 million.

Some areas across Jefferson County have been targeted multiple times. KYTC said at least five of those thefts required repairs. Interstate 264 is a target at Bank Street and seven other locations, including between West Muhammad Ali Boulevard and Southern Parkway. I-64 at Adams Street and Story Avenue, and Interstate 65 at eight locations between Broadway and Fern Valley.

Tuesday night, the lights along the eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 64 near Louisville's Portland neighborhood never came on. But that's not the case when it comes to the approach to the Sherman Minton Bridge, where the lights shine bright right on time.

About three weeks ago, a WDRB News Photojournalist recorded video showing a long stretch of I-64 in Louisville in the dark. WDRB alerted KYTC about the lack of interstate lighting, with a detailed map showing a huge section of I-64 in Louisville in the dark.

The next day, an email from a KYTC spokesperson said crews had inspected the area and fixed a majority of the lighting in the eastbound lanes. The damages were blamed on copper wire theft. It's a problem that has persisted since at least August 2022, when 66,000 feet of copper was stolen from interstate lights. At the time, the state said eight areas were hit along I-64, I-65 and I-264.

"We think these people know what they're doing because we haven't seen any dead bodies on the side of the road from getting electrocuted," Bullock said.

A few months later, thieves hit again, taking another 66,000 feet of copper valued at $45,000.

"That's theft of taxpayers' money," KYTC Spokesperson Jim Hannah said. "Those are very expensive and very time-consuming to replace, and it causes a safety issue for every motorist that drives up and down the road."

The same concerns were relayed in an email to KYTC by WDRB News last week asking whether there was a monitoring system, cameras, arrests, or whether the state was taking any anti-theft measures and, if so, what those are.

Officials from KYTC and the Louisville Metro Police Department are expected to provide an update Wednesday morning on their efforts to keep the city's interstate lights on.

In a news release Tuesday, KYTC said it is partnering with the Kentucky Department of Homeland Security and LMPD to raise awareness about the thefts and their impact.

Drivers are asked to report any known information about wire thefts in the state to KYTC's Office of Inspector General at (502) 330-7506. In Louisville, drivers can call in tips to LMPD's Crime Tip Line by calling (502) 574-LMPD (5673). Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the department's online Crime Tip Portal by clicking here. Dark intersections can be reported to KYTC's Traffic Operations Center at (877) FOR-KYTC (367-5982).

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