Oldest Motorway Signs Still In Use

[Bryn666]

Is this one still there?

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... -_9827.jpg

Is that originally from the 60s when the services opened?

It's from the 70s but still extremely old.

[Chris Bertram]

This is pretty faded so I'm guessing may be original to the motorway opening?

Yep. Looks 1970s or at the latest early 1980s to me.

I wonder what’s under those patches? (which do stand out a lot!) Especially the one on the right.

It could be that the patches were applied because the original text become so faded?

Under A5223 is (I think) A518. Later route changes mean that this road no longer reaches the junction. I really have no idea what would need to be covered up on the other sign, unless they formerly directed traffic to Wellington that way.

[Bryn666]

https://goo.gl/maps/DoQ4mMMiek82

This is original.

https://goo.gl/maps/V7mjHn2A7kx

So is this.

[Johnathan404]

I was surprised to see this gantry has survived roadworks on both the M"5 and the M3.

Same junction
More on the M3
And more
Also at J22

In fact the M25 must have the highest proportion of ageing signage of any whole motorway in the country, which is impressive considering its history.

[Osthagen]

In fact the M25 must have the highest proportion of ageing signage of any whole motorway in the country, which is impressive considering its history.

The M1 I think has quite a bit of old signage, some of which I’ve posted elsewhere in the thread. There was a particularly decrepit-looking sign near J18, I think. Quite a bit of that has disappeared with ’smartification’ though.

[Patrick Harper]

The longevity of the original street furniture at Thorpe is very impressive considering that it was all built years before the M25 to the south existed to make full use of it. The gantries and the streetlights were instated in 1976.

[Helvellyn]

https://goo.gl/maps/DoQ4mMMiek82

This is original.

https://goo.gl/maps/V7mjHn2A7kx

So is this.

When I saw those I was also going to suggest junction 41, but a quick look at a bit of it on Streetview shows newish looking signs. That surprised me, J41 feels like an old relic, with its peeling black and white painted barriers (and the road surface looks pretty old on the roundabout too). I thought I'd seen faded blue signs too but must've been imagining it.

[James1978]

https://goo.gl/maps/DoQ4mMMiek82

This is original.

https://goo.gl/maps/V7mjHn2A7kx

So is this.

There's also this one in the same area as it sticks out like a sore thumb as all the others in the area have been replaced. It's probably only an 80s sign though and not original.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.88397 ... 312!8i6656

[Gareth Thomas]

This one on the M20, the only sign from the 1981 stretch (J9-13, Ashford - Folkestone) still there. It's also the only sign on that stretch of the M20 to still mention "Swanley" as opposed to "M25".

You beat me to it!
It always seems strange that Swanley (pop: 16,000) is on the route confirmation sign at Ashford but Ashford (pop: 74,000) is no longer on the route confirmation sign at Swanley.

It's only that one sign, no others mention Swanley at all. I think it was signed originally because it was the M20/M25 junction.

Also, you should know that only Dover and the Channel Tunnel are important destinations on the M20.

[ScottB5411]

Before I moved to the states, the southbound M6 RCS after J35 and 33 were originals I believe. Also the direction sign approaching J35a on the A601(M) was original to the M6 and badly needing replacement. I have no idea if any these have actually been replaced or not.

[Conekicker]

Never got around to replacing this one:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@53.36055 ... 6656?hl=en

[Robert Kilcoyne]

Before I moved to the states, the southbound M6 RCS after J35 and 33 were originals I believe. Also the direction sign approaching J35a on the A601(M) was original to the M6 and badly needing replacement. I have no idea if any these have actually been replaced or not.

As at July 2016, the direction sign on the northbound A601(M) approaching the A6 roundabout was still there:-
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.13813 ... 6656?hl=en

[DB617]

These are on the M4 EB J33-J32. Must be original to the road as I can't recall this stretch ever having been widened. Also, that gantry. To be fair, increasing the weathering in this area is a really shocking road surface which throws up a terrific amount of spray and grit in even light rain. In the right conditions you can drive across J33 and see the layer of road mist sitting below the bridges. It runs all the way up past Bridgend and we must have one of the worst wet weather accident rates on the network.

https://goo.gl/maps/u9DkCGpNBNR2

There's a lot of pretty old highway furniture around Capel Llanilltern (J33) - head south on the Cardiff Link A4232 and there is some seldom-used VSL signage on what must have been bespoke gantries around the junction for Grangetown as well as original prism signs all over the place from Culverhouse Cross to Cardiff Bay.

[James1978]

Before I moved to the states, the southbound M6 RCS after J35 and 33 were originals I believe. Also the direction sign approaching J35a on the A601(M) was original to the M6 and badly needing replacement. I have no idea if any these have actually been replaced or not.

I don't think they are, but one in the area which I think still is (though I couldn't capture it on Google Maps as the only time the car went there it was overtaking a lorry which was obscuring the sign) is southbound just after Forton services - must be really ancient as they never do them after just a service area now!

[Berk]

Before I moved to the states, the southbound M6 RCS after J35 and 33 were originals I believe. Also the direction sign approaching J35a on the A601(M) was original to the M6 and badly needing replacement. I have no idea if any these have actually been replaced or not.

As at July 2016, the direction sign on the northbound A601(M) approaching the A6 roundabout was still there:-
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.13813 ... 6656?hl=en

Crikey, how old is that??

[Berk]

I know they wouldn’t exist any more, but does anyone have any photos of old Anderson signs from the 70s or 80s?? Always welcome to see.

[James1978]

It's here (the one I referred to 3 posts up - hadn't realised Berk got in there before me!!):

http://uk.rippachtal.de/M6-2.php

(look at southbound, the second last photo for J33 Lancaster (S).

[Berk]

It's here (the one I referred to 3 posts up - hadn't realised Berk got in there before me!!):

http://uk.rippachtal.de/M6-2.php

(look at southbound, the second last photo for J33 Lancaster (S).

It doesn’t load on my iPad.

I’ll try again later on the PC.

[James1978]

If that link does work for people then just look at the first sign for J24 southbound in the same series. Now THAT looks like a 60s sign (though it absolutely definitely isn't there any more now; those photos I believe were taken sometime around the mid 00s!

[Big L]

There can't be many older M25 signs around than this one which, on the clockwise carriageway, gives distance to the Dartford Tunnel.