The Cranberry Eagle
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 Article published December 3, 2012

Mystery drums on pole part of PennDOT wireless link

Paula Grubbs
Cranberry Eagle

CRANBERRY TWP — The strange white conical drums atop a huge pole on Route 19 are not summoning the alien mother ship or watching over the shoulders of law-abiding citizens.
The unusual suspended apparatus on Route 19 in front of the Anheim Auto Auction is a state Department of Transportation communications device.
Deborah Casedei, PennDOT District 10 spokesman, said the device is part of PennDOT’s wireless communications network. It is connected to the large message boards along Pennsylvania’s interstate highways.
Casedei said the devices, which are also along Interstate 79 and on other highways, allow communications specialists at PennDOT’s traffic management center in Bridgeville to send real-time messages to the boards.
Casedei said the devices, which are fairly new, are placed in the PennDOT right-of-ways that run along the highways.