Date:
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Contact:
Kelly Stowe, WSDOT Communications, 360-480-3648
TACOMA – WSDOT signals crew members re-lived an all-to-common experience last week when they discovered more wire stolen on I-5 in Tacoma.
Sometime last week, thieves stole the over 6,000 feet of wire that lights the on-and-off ramps on I-5 at 72nd Street. Crews arrived to find open junction boxes with no sign of the stolen wire or thieves nearby.
This is the 96th wire theft in WSDOT’s Olympic Region which covers Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, Grays Harbor, Clallam, Jefferson, and Mason Counties.
The wire stolen from the seven-county area, if laid end-to-end, would equal 315 football fields, or just over 18 miles. Statewide, wire theft replacement costs have reached over a half-million dollars, adding to the budget shortfall caused by the unusually harsh winter earlier this year.
Along with budget impacts, wire theft jeopardizes motorist safety when traffic signals are disabled or lighting along highways goes dark.
Today signals crews will be working along eastbound SR 16 replacing wire stolen earlier this year. Crews have to balance replacing stolen wire with normal maintenance activities for the states highway illumination system.
The public can help by notifying law enforcement of any suspicious activity they see along the roadway by dialing 9-1-1. Anyone with information regarding wire theft is encouraged to call WSDOT’s toll-free anonymous tip line at 1-866-976-WIRE.
For more information on wire-theft, please visit http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Maintenance/material/theft.htm
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