SAN FRANCISCO -- California Department of Transportation officials have asked CBS Outdoor to turn off a bright electronic billboard near the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge toll plaza until the sign company fixes an apparent software glitch, according to Caltrans spokesman Jeff Weiss.

Weiss said Caltrans has been "flooded" with complaints from drivers who say that the bright sign is distracting them and is a safety hazard.

The large sign is located on the south side of eastbound Interstate Highway 80 near the toll plaza.

The sign first went into operation on March 31 but an apparent software glitch about two weeks ago made it even brighter and resulted in a spike in complaints, Weiss said.

"The complaints we received changed from being about the aesthetics of the sign to it being a distraction for motorists," Weiss said.

He said CBS Outdoor has told Caltrans that it's trying to fix the software problem but Caltrans officials are becoming impatient and want the company to turn off the sign immediately until the glitch is fixed.

"We can't just let it go any longer," Weiss said.

CBS Outdoor officials couldn't immediately be reached for comment.