LOUISVILLE, Ky. — On stretches of Louisville's busiest, most traveled roads, the lights aren't on and many haven't been on for months.
In most cases, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet (KYTC) said, it's because thieves have cut the lights by cutting out copper wire.
KYTC Chief District Engineer Matt Bullock said losing the wires has cost about a million dollars.
The Louisville Metro Police Department (LMPD) is aware of the ongoing issue, and authorities have been investigating, but LMPD said it could use the public's help by being on the lookout for anything "out of the ordinary."
"If you see an ATV, a personal vehicle, something that does not look like an approved work truck out there, that's when you can call us and let us know," Det. Braden Lammers previously told WHAS11 News. "They might hook it up to the ATV and take off and be able to pull a hundred yards of wire instead of pulling a couple feet at a time."
KYTC said the blackouts due to the stolen copper wire are mainly concentrated around and within the Watterson Expressway. Lights are also out on five stretches of I-64, seven spots on I-65 and two spots on I-71.
"That amounts to about 1400 lights," Bullock said.
According to state maintained roadways, only the Bowling Green area has dealt with the same issue of stolen copper wire over the last five years. It's been about a $153,000 problem in south-central Kentucky.
Democratic Minority Floor Leader Sen. Gerald Neal said he's very concerned about the lights and how it relates to safety.
"A million dollars; it's quite a bit of money, unless there's some kind of security apparatus that's calculated and take care of that, then this is going to be a common cost," he said.
KYTC is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and successful prosecution.
The cabinet said past surveillance has been unsuccessful, while anti-theft devices to prevent access to the bottom of the light poles haven't always worked and are quite expensive.
However, this summer, KYTC is planning a pilot program involving solar lighting at two interchanges, including the I-64/I-264 interchange by the Sherman Minton Bridge.
Neal said there's going to be a cost whether the legislature or the city pays for it.
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