The Utah Department of Transportation has been hit by the largest single theft of copper cable in its history. UDOT’s John Gleason says they’re surprised no one noticed thieves at work right along I-15 in North Salt Lake last week.
“They basically stripped out 35-thousand feet of copper wiring, you know that stretches, says Gleason, it spans about the length of a mile, eleven separate tall light poles.”
Gleason says replacing the cables will cost between 50 and 60 thousand dollars so taxpayers are the biggest victims in these thefts.
“We’re having to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars every year to combat this problem, repair and replace the copper wire that’s being stolen out of these junction box and these lights,” says Gleason.
He says crews are starting to use aluminum wire which has less value to the crooks. He asks for the public’s help in catching thieves by watching for unusual activity along any roadway and contacting police.
