PENNDOT dooms Crossroads giant glowing digital billboard

Howard Frank
Pocono Record Writer
April 25, 2007

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has ordered the Crossroads Travel Center to take down the large digital billboard on Interstate 80, or PennDOT will take it down for them.A letter was sent from PennDOT to JP Ertle Development LP, according to Ron Young, District 5 press officer for PennDOT. It notified Ertle of two violations involving the sign: the absence of a permit for the electronic billboard and for advertising off-premises businesses on the sign.According to Young, the letter states that the billboard is in violation of the Outdoor Advertising Control Act of 1971, which requires a state permit for billboards along controlled highways like I-80. The letter also said the Crossroads billboard violates the prohibition on advertising off-site activities. The Outdoor Advertising Control Act, the letter continues, requires the removal of prohibited signs.Young said the letter states, "We are requesting they remove the sign so it will not be necessary for the department to remove and dispose of it."The letter from PennDOT was dated April 17 and gives Ertle 30 days from receipt to comply.PennDOT has not received a reply to the letter. Crossroads developer Jim Ertle could not be reached late in the day for comment.The giant animated billboard flashes messages at westbound drivers on Interstate 80. The sign was converted to a digital display last year without a PennDOT permit. It's not clear why there was no permit application made when the sign was upgraded amid much fanfare. Ertle hosted a "grand opening" party when the sign was lit and touted its value for displaying public safety messages such as Amber Alerts.PennDOT said last month it was investigating the legality of the jumbo sign, which opponents fear is an unsafe distraction for drivers.The Crossroads billboard is one of about 400 such digital signs across the country.