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Copper thieves endangering Snoqualmie Pass drivers

Amy Cannata
Staff writer
October 8, 2007

Brazen copper wire thieves working in full view of Interstate 90 traffic struck Washington State Department of Transportation conduit boxes four times in the past two weeks, knocking out power to electronic message boards and lights at ramps and rest areas near Snoqualmie Pass.

Some thieves have been arrested, but others are still at large, said Transportation spokesman Mike Westbay. Repairs to all the affected conduit boxes haven't yet been completed and will likely cost about $50,000 in labor and materials.

"They were cutting those wires while they're still hot and pulling them out," Westbay said of the thieves.

The wire is sold as scrap, where it can fetch a high price.

Meanwhile, drivers are left in the dark. "It's really a safety issue," Westbay said. "When they knock out signs, we can't communicate what's happening on the highway."

The electronic message boards along I-90 near the pass alert drivers to construction and inform them about variable speed limits that change with pavement conditions, Westbay said.

The wire thefts also have killed power to overhead lighting at freeway interchanges and the Indian John rest area.

The most recent theft happened Wednesday when the loss of wiring caused a road sensor near North Bend to go dark along with a camera and road sensor at Easton. Transportation officials use the camera and road sensors to monitor traffic and temperatures.

The thieves often disguise themselves by wearing vests and hard hats as they work near pickups. But the apparel and trucks don't have an official Washington State Department of Transportation logo, Westbay said.

Removing the wires can take some time, so it's likely that hundreds, if not thousands, of people drive by as the thieves work.

The Washington State Patrol and state transportation crews are stepping up surveillance of the Snoqualmie Pass area.

Drivers can help by being on the lookout, too, watching for suspicious crews working near state property.

"If they see an unmarked vehicle and people without logo vests and hardhats, they should call 911," Westbay said.

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