Feb 9, 2007 8:36 pm US/Central
Copper Thieves Blamed For Dark Dallas Roads
by Jack Fink
DALLAS (CBS 11 News) ―
Thousands of drivers across North Texas are in the dark. Dozens of lights along major highway interchanges are not working, putting the safety of drivers at risk.
Why?
Thieves have been stealing the copper wiring out of the light poles.
The City of Dallas says that 20 miles of freeway are dark.
At some interchanges, the businesses and billboards are better lit than the roads.
The problem has not been fixed for several months.
"I don't know why they have them up there if they're not working," said Alex Nino, a local driver. He feels that the dark highways are dangerous. "Sometimes, I pass my exit because I can't see," he said. "If someone breaks down on the side of the road, I mean, what if they get hit because they didn't get seen?"
"TxDOT really needs to step up," said Dallas city councilwoman Angela Hunt. "If the problem really is copper thieves, we know what the problem is. We've identified it. Let's get a solution. It shouldn't be as long as it's taking."
According to TxDOT, contractors have replaced the wiring 15 times in the past six months, at a cost of $250,000. They stopped all repairs several months ago because the thieves kept coming back.
"The next day, or in a week, it happens again," explained TxDOT spokesperson Kelli Petras. "So, we're trying to figure out a real solution to the problem that stops it from happening altogether."
Drivers hope that they do not have to wait much longer.
TxDOT says that they have spent these past several months working with the City of Dallas and TXU to find a solution, and they hope to start putting it in place at the beginning of March.
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