More than a mile of copper wire connecting 10 freeway lights near Kapolei was unearthed and stolen last week, the latest in a string of copper thefts affecting the freeways and overpasses heading into West O'ahu.

It was the fourth major theft of copper wire connecting street lights near the Leeward Coast in the last year, police said. Police opened a first-degree theft investigation.

Officials estimated the value of the stolen wire and damage done at about $30,000.

Left dark by the thefts is a stretch of freeway starting on the Kalaeloa overpass and heading toward Makaha on Farrington Highway. The latest theft brings estimated copper losses along the Central and West O'ahu corridor to $452,000 since May 2006. Thieves have hit a total of 235 highway lighting fixtures since last year.

In this case, thieves ripped out copper wiring from 10 light fixtures.

The stolen copper wire weighed at least 1,000 pounds and was buried. The thieves would have to know how to cut the electric current running through the wires, and would need a large truck or winch to pull the wire from the ground, police said.

The copper thefts have left dark stretches of the H-1 Freeway in Makakilo and Kunia and along the H-2 Freeway in Central O'ahu. The entire stretch of freeway from Kunia to Makakilo is dark, as are patches of the H-2 heading to Mililani.

The state DOT replaced the stolen wire in several locations only to see it stolen again.

Prior to last week's theft, thieves had taken more than six miles of copper wire valued at $102,000 from H-1 Freeway in early March, leaving a stretch of road from Kunia to the Makakilo overpass in the dark.

Taken were 24,000 feet of No. 2 gauge copper wire and 8,000 feet of No. 6 gauge copper wire that connected light poles. The heavy wire was buried.

Copper thefts have plagued Hawai'i and are becoming increasingly frequent on the Mainland.

States such as Texas, California, Missouri and Tennessee have experienced thefts on roadways, construction projects and large buildings.

Copper-theft problems have attracted intense attention from the community and lawmakers, and several bills aimed at combating the growing problem are before the Legislature.

Reach Peter Boylan at pboylan@honoluluadvertiser.com.