Spaghetti Bowl lights may be back on soon after copper wire thefts
Copper thieves sent the Spaghetti Bowl into darkness a month ago, but work is underway to have the lights back on by the end of the year.
The replacement comes at an estimated cost of $300,000. The first cost of repairs was estimated at $70,000 for equipment and $70,000 for labor.
“We now plan on having all 20 freeway light pole masts located near the downtown Las Vegas Spaghetti Bowl interchange corridor rewired by month’s end in time for New Year’s Eve,” said Tony Illia, Nevada Department of Transportation spokesman. “The increased figure is partly due to new security measures being installed in conjunction with the copper wire re-installation.”
Illia declined to detail any of the new security devices so as not to inform possible thieves.
Law enforcement has made several arrests of suspected copper thieves since the outages occurred.
Thieves using power tools and other devices to speed their work stole enough wiring to knock out lighting several weeks ago, leaving only about 30 percent of the freeway lights illuminated along the Spaghetti Bowl corridor and creating a significant safety hazard for motorists.
As state crews worked to restore wiring and lighting, thieves struck again, delaying repairs that NDOT had hoped to be completed by Thanksgiving.
The price of copper has reached $3.29 per pound, up 55 percent from $2.13 per pound five years ago.
“We are committed to Nevada motorists staying safe and connected, while undertaking the added theft deterrent measures,” Illia said. “Meanwhile, we advise motorist caution and attentiveness if traveling through the Spaghetti Bowl corridor at night.”
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. Follow @Marv_in_Vegas on Twitter.
