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#Post#: 95994--------------------------------------------------
Motorway Gantry speed limit signs
By: aardvaark Date: October 28, 2025, 4:41 pm
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Hi
The Highways Agency are kind enough to indicate speed limits
above each lane on a motorway. But what happens when there are
(say) three signs illuminated above lanes 1, 2 and 4. Does lane
3 revert to NSL? If trying to enforce speeding offenses, doe the
photo of the other lanes apply where that lane's signs are
blank?
This is just my idle curiosity when on a lengthy motorway
journey, so no practical relevance.
Many thanks
#Post#: 96025--------------------------------------------------
Re: Motorway Gantry speed limit signs
By: NewJudge Date: October 29, 2025, 6:03 am
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Have you ever seen such a display?
Leaving aside where motorways diverge (and I think even then all
lanes would be kept the same until the divergence was complete)
the only time I can imagine this happening is in the event of a
faulty display.
The situation you describe would be ludicrous if done
deliberately. If a lower limit is required in lanes 1,2 and 4,
why on earth would it be deemed OK to travel faster in lane 3?
I don't know whether the police would take enforcement action in
the event of a failure in the lane 3 display. I feel fairly
sure that they would.
Of course there would only be a debate in any case if the gantry
was the first to show such a display. Any limit displayed
previously remains in force until the driver encounters a sign
displaying something else (a different limit or the NSL sign).
#Post#: 96029--------------------------------------------------
Re: Motorway Gantry speed limit signs
By: roythebus Date: October 29, 2025, 6:55 am
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There is no requirement for the speed to be displayed over more
than one lane. In a lot of area now there's just one speed limit
sign.
I've seen what could best be described as multiple speeds
indicated, especially on the end of the M2 where it joins the
A2 towards London where there's more than 4 lanes.
#Post#: 96097--------------------------------------------------
Re: Motorway Gantry speed limit signs
By: Boomer Date: October 29, 2025, 1:10 pm
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[quote author=NewJudge link=topic=8576.msg96025#msg96025
date=1761735797]
The situation you describe would be ludicrous if done
deliberately. If a lower limit is required in lanes 1,2 and 4,
why on earth would it be deemed OK to travel faster in lane 3?
[/quote]
I have experienced such a "ludicrous" situation on the M42
Northbound just before the M6 (a year and a half ago).
The overhead gantries said, from the left, 60mph, 50mph and
40mph!
This is whilst the roadworks (physical) signs below all said
50mph!!!
I immediately reported this to National Highways (or whatever
they are called these days) and spoke to Mark who didn't know
about the lower roadworks limit and couldn't understand why the
limits were different across the three lanes.
This is worrying because you can literally lose your licence
based on badly or incorrectly enforced speed limits!
#Post#: 96133--------------------------------------------------
Re: Motorway Gantry speed limit signs
By: The Slithy Tove Date: October 30, 2025, 3:57 am
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[quote author=NewJudge link=topic=8576.msg96025#msg96025
date=1761735797]
Have you ever seen such a display?[/quote]
I have, yes, every now an then. It does happen. I always assume
the limit applies to all lanes.
[quote author=NewJudge link=topic=8576.msg96025#msg96025
date=1761735797]
Leaving aside where motorways diverge (and I think even then all
lanes would be kept the same until the divergence was
complete)[/quote]
They do show different limits even before the physical
divergence, though the lane markings clearly show that some
lanes (with a different limit) are about to do so.
Back in the '90s when VSL were first introduced, it was
suggested that different limits could apply on each lane, but I
don't think this was ever actually implemented.
[quote author=NewJudge link=topic=8576.msg96025#msg96025
date=1761735797]
Any limit displayed previously remains in force until the driver
encounters a sign displaying something else (a different limit
or the NSL sign).[/quote]
Unfortunately it also happens that there is not always an NSL at
the end of a variable speed restriction. Could be because the
restriction you last passed has been lifted and so all the signs
are now blank, or some other random reason. One simply has to
assume after a couple of gantries that NSL now applies (whether
rightly or not).
#Post#: 96138--------------------------------------------------
Re: Motorway Gantry speed limit signs
By: mickR Date: October 30, 2025, 5:13 am
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I have also seen spurious limits on the same gantry and
restriction on only 2 of 4 lanes
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