Date:  Friday, March 07, 2008

Contact: Kelly Stowe, WSDOT Communications , (360) 480-3648 cell

MCCLEARY – Crews will close the right lane of westbound State Route 8 at Mox Chehalis Road on Monday so they can repair a section of the highway’s lighting system damaged by thieves last October.

The lane closure will begin at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 10, and crews will be off the roadway by 3 p.m. The cost in labor and materials to repair this lighting system is estimated at $8,000.

When a wire theft occurs, the money to replace the wire comes from the same funding budgeted for all maintenance activities at WSDOT. These losses take away from other important programs within maintenance and operations because the cost to repair or replace the wire comes out of the same budget used to maintain the system.

Nationwide, wire theft is a billion dollar problem. Statewide, WSDOT has estimated losses due to wire theft at over $600,000. Over $257,000 of these losses occurred in WSDOT’s Olympic Region, which covers Pierce, Thurston, Mason, Kitsap, Jefferson, Grays Harbor and Clallam counties.

WSDOT needs the public’s assistance in preventing these thefts. Motorists who have information regarding wire-theft along a state highway are encouraged to call 1-866-976-WIRE (9473). If drivers encounter a theft in process, they should dial 9-1-1. For more information on wire-theft, please visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/maintenance/material.

< Back to News Home