Nanaimo’s Bastion Street bridge has been in the dark since thieves made off with about 30 metres of copper wiring in late January.
The 10 street lights mounted on blue standards with curved necks have been out of service since the theft, which happened between Jan. 23 and Jan. 24. Each side of the bridge has five lights.
An electrical contractor estimated the cost to install new wiring similar to what was taken would be $12,000 to $15,000.
“We haven’t fixed it yet because I don’t want to just quickly reinstate what was already there and then have the same situation occur,” David Thompson, manager of roads and traffic services, said Friday.
“We’re taking the opportunity to think about how to do it in a bit more protected manner.”
Work is expected to begin in about 10 days to restore electricity to the bridge, he said.
Planned protective measures include using aluminum wiring and reinforcing hangers and brackets to secure the conduit to the bridge, Thompson said.
The Bastion Street bridge connects downtown to the old city quarter and crosses above Terminal Avenue.
A sloping dirt-and-rock embankment under the bridge is accessible to anyone who wants to climb up. The plastic conduits holding the wires could have been reached by someone immediately under the bridge.
The wires were live at the time they were taken, so the thief or thieves could have received an electric shock, Thompson said.
Despite the current lack of lights, the bridge is still safe for pedestrians and drivers, he said, since it’s illuminated by streetlights on Terminal Avenue and lights at each end of the bridge.
“If you’ve got your headlights on, you’ll be able to see sufficiently well.”
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