Rhode Island DOT Blocks Streetlight Access Covers With 700-Pound Concrete Blocks to Stop Copper Theft: 87 Installed
The Rhode Island Department of Transportation has turned to a low-tech but effective way to combat rampant copper wire theft: covering the access covers for streetlight wiring with chunks of concrete weighing 700 pounds, nearly impossible to move without equipment. The department began placing the blocks on the covers over the last few months to protect the copper wires that power streetlamps.
Interim Director Robert Rocchio told NBC 10 WJAR that the state has lost more than $1 million to stolen copper, though he did not specify the timeframe. Thefts began a few years ago when copper prices rose significantly, he said: 'It's a constant battle — we restore it, they steal the copper, we go back in.' The department aims to install 151 blocks in total; 87 are already in place, and the program's total cost is $75,000.
High copper prices have made streetlight wiring a target; stolen lines not only cause property losses but also leave streets dark, affecting nighttime drivers and pedestrians. The department said the heavy concrete covers require no complex technology but raise the barrier to theft, appear to be working so far, and installation continues.
(Source: The Drive)
Source: The Drive
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：夜间公路路灯（资料图）。Jamie Street 摄，CC0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Highway lights at night (file photo). By Jamie Street, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons.
