Copper Thieves Strike Again As City Repairs Highway Street Lights

The state is almost finished installing new highway lights on Interstate 244 in Tulsa.

But, while they were finishing work on one end, thieves went to work on the other.

I-244 has the nicest and newest lights of any highway in Tulsa; the problem is they're not working.

Thieves have taken the copper wiring, again.

The City is still finishing installation on the east end of the highway, which is why the lights are sometimes on during the day - they're in testing mode.

Workers are installing LED lights; and while they were finishing on the west end, thieves took the copper wiring - that's why they're not working - they deactivated the circuit from the IDL to Delaware.

That happened last week.

The City said it's part of the continuing problem of copper theft that has now cost the city $2.9 million. The City streets department is asking for $600,000 more to speed up repairs.

The city has completed repairs on the north side of the city - the Gilcrease Expressway, Tisdale and Highway 11.

But there are still a lot of repairs to go, especially on I-44, the Broken Arrow Expressway and the Keystone Expressway.

At the current rate of progress, the City said the repairs could take a full year.