March 5, 2026
Dozens of streetlights on Interstate 84 near Halsey Street in Northeast Portland aren't working, thanks to copper-wire thieves, leaving a stretch of freeway dark at night — and the state with hundreds of thousands of dollars in repair costs.
Thieves made about 60 streetlights inoperable when they tried to extract the copper wire inside, Oregon Department of Transportation spokesperson David House told The Oregonian/OregonLive. House said ODOT learned of the damage last week but that it's not clear when the thieves struck.
Repairs, which are set to happen next week, are expected to cost $200,000, House said.
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