Geometric symbols on motorway signs

[Mutton Geoff]

Recently I've noticed simple symbols upon motorways signs.

 

They are quite small: black on a yellow background; mostly very simple shapes such as a triangle or a square or a diamond or a circle. Sometimes hollow shapes, sometimes the black is filled in.

 

What are they? What do they represent?

 

Should we be told?

[+Birdman-of-liskatraz]

I believe they're pre planned diversion routes. So if a roads closed you can just be told to follow the black diamonds etc.. quite popular as holiday routes in this neck of the woods.

[+pklong]

birdman is right, and if they are in use, you'll be sitting in a traffic jam dozens of miles long.

[+Delta68]

There's a sign when you leave the M40 at J16 which has four of symbols on - it looks like an advert for Sony PlayStation

 

 

 

 

 

Mark

[d_cross78]

Yeah they are pre-planned routes. They're also used for abnormal loads, etc.

[Mutton Geoff]

Is there a map of where these things lead to/through?

 

Can we be told?

 

Can we pre-plan our journey(s) with such information?

 

It seems to me that the diversionary routes could be very useful data, though only if we can map them out sytematically and then use them intelligently.

 

Isn't that what the 'road network' used to be all about before we had the M-routes imposed upon the countryside?