LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – U.S. 95 is a lot brighter south of the Spaghetti Bowl around Charleston. The stretch of road has brand new LED lights in the middle of north and southbound lanes.
This is an improvement that’s especially helpful for people who don’t see well at night.
FOX5 noticed several dark highway lights on that stretch of U.S. 95 in 2022. After alerting NDOT about it, officials told FOX5 the lights were out because of a copper wire theft.
NDOT said it would fix the lights right away but decided to wrap the work into the 95 Charleston construction project. NDOT just confirmed to FOX5 those new lights are now up and working.
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“When lighting is taken out for some of those main line areas like the 95 or the 515, that so many folks use to commute on a daily basis, it decreases the safety of that area. And it’s frustrating for crews that work really hard to install that lighting,” said NDOT Spokesperson Kelsey McFarland.
Copper wire thefts of streetlights have been a big problem all over the valley. McFarland says crews have installed heavy lids over access points to copper wire to prevent thefts.
“It’s up to 800 pounds per lid. So you need essentially a forklift to be able to move some of those lids,” said McFarland.
She also says there is a pilot program on I-15 that involves cameras.
“With closed circuit cameras that can identify any sort of vandalism or theft that may be happening on NDOT right of ways. And essentially it creates a real time opportunity for security to see that theft happening along the I-15 and they can respond to it,” said McFarland.
McFarland also says security patrols have been out looking for suspicious activity around highway lights to help fight the problem.
“It has significantly helped in trying to deter theft,” she said.
McFarland says the new LED lights are significantly more energy efficient, generate less heat and require less maintenance compared to traditional lights. She also says despite operating at a lower wattage, they provide greater light coverage.
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