Oldest Motorway Signs Still In Use

[wrinkly]

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

It looks fairly new in the 2016 picture, and if you slide Streetview back to 2012, it isn't there.

So much newer than the QE2 bridge.

[Bryn666]

It's a copy of an original sign that was presumably knocked down years before the widening works. The fact it references London Orbital is a clue.

Also the block spacing is all wrong and Tnl never has a full stop on other signs.

[Berk]

Also, even if Stansted is a principal destination, isn’t there another, closer one before it?? It’s not even on the M25, you might as well mention Stevenage, or Basildon.

[Quinny898]

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.

This one:

?

That's still there, or it was when I was last at home a couple of weeks ago. The patch covers a larger "35A" (seen here) so it could be original to the M6 being extended past J35 (unless the bigger 35A was itself on top of 35)?

[ScottB5411]

Thinking again, it's probably not the original sign, as there'd be a patch covering up presumably Kendal and Carlilse, but it's probably the one that replaced it when the M6 extension north opened.

[Berk]

Thinking again, it's probably not the original sign, as there'd be a patch covering up presumably Kendal and Carlilse, but it's probably the one that replaced it when the M6 extension north opened.

Wasn’t 35A originally 35?? I thought it got renumbered when the northern extension (and J35 opened)??

[ScottB5411]

Thinking again, it's probably not the original sign, as there'd be a patch covering up presumably Kendal and Carlilse, but it's probably the one that replaced it when the M6 extension north opened.

Wasn’t 35A originally 35?? I thought it got renumbered when the northern extension (and J35 opened)??

Correct

[wrinkly]

If that sign truly dates from when the M6 was first extended past the present J35, then in its early history, Milnthorpe will have been covered up by something like "The Lakes, Barrow", as that traffic was signed off at J35 prior to the opening of the link NW from J36.

The junction now known 35A will have been originally numbereless as the Lancaster bypass opened in 1960, and junction numbers didn't begin till about 1966.

[Berk]

If that sign truly dates from when the M6 was first extended past the present J35, then in its early history, Milnthorpe will have been covered up by something like "Kendal, The Lakes, Barrow", as all that traffic was signed off at J35 prior to the opening of the link NW from J36.

The junction now known 35A will have been originally numbereless as the Lancaster bypass opened in 1960, and junction numbers didn't begin till about 1966.

I thought the M1 had junction numbers at opening?? Or did they come later as well??

Presumably people referred to junctions by their destination name (or whichever road they connected with)??

[wrinkly]

I've deleted Kendal from my post but it's still in your quote. It was accessible via the A65 from J36. (Though I'm not certain it might not nevertheless have been signed off at J35.)

The original length of the M1 definitely didn't have junction numbers. They weren't introduced for another 6 or 7 years.

[Johnathan404]

SABRE Maps has plenty of maps of early motorways without junction numbers. And with!

[Chris5156]

I thought the M1 had junction numbers at opening?? Or did they come later as well??

Presumably people referred to junctions by their destination name (or whichever road they connected with)??

There were no junction numbers on the M1 originally, but some road atlases of that era label each junction with its official name.

[Barkstar]

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.

Still there - passed it twice this weekend - but has deteriorated a fair bit. Wonder if it's longevity is connected with it's location? Can't be many signs left in the central reservation.

[wrinkly]

I thought the M1 had junction numbers at opening?? Or did they come later as well??

Presumably people referred to junctions by their destination name (or whichever road they connected with)??

There were no junction numbers on the M1 originally, but some road atlases of that era label each junction with its official name.

Also the AA published maps with insets of motorways showing junction layouts. Junctions were identified by numbers or letters, but these were unrelated to the later official numbers, and were not confined to the M1.

[DavidBrown]

Wasn't a contender mentioned in another thread in the last few days?? On the M5 maybe??

Absolutely!

See here.

Interestingly, while most signage for Wales is usually preceded by the identifier of 'North' (M56, M54) or 'South' (M4, M50) for the respective areas of the country, here it's simply listed as 'Wales'.

Had a massive shock when driving up this way today - this sign is now sadly R.I.P (rusting in peace, probably in some scrapyard somewhere). No replacement as yet, leaving just two very lonely looking signposts, but sad to see one of, if not the last original feature from when the motorway opened gone.

[Norfolktolancashire]

Wasn't a contender mentioned in another thread in the last few days?? On the M5 maybe??

Absolutely!

See here.

Interestingly, while most signage for Wales is usually preceded by the identifier of 'North' (M56, M54) or 'South' (M4, M50) for the respective areas of the country, here it's simply listed as 'Wales'.

Had a massive shock when driving up this way today - this sign is now sadly R.I.P (rusting in peace, probably in some scrapyard somewhere). No replacement as yet, leaving just two very lonely looking signposts, but sad to see one of, if not the last original feature from when the motorway opened gone.

Found another similar aged sign just southwest of this at junction 21 of the M5 while driving northwards three days ago.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.34733 ... 312!8i6656

[someone]

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

It looks fairly new in the 2016 picture, and if you slide Streetview back to 2012, it isn't there.

So much newer than the QE2 bridge.

It seems to be a relocation of this sign, from 2008–14 on Streetview:

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.68046 ... 312!8i6656

[aledrees1986]

I know this is not motorway but looks like an old motorway sign underneath just pasted over with green replacement text. almost unreadable :

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.63146 ... 312!8i6656

[Worcestershire Wolf]

I know this is not motorway but looks like an old motorway sign underneath just pasted over with green replacement text. almost unreadable :

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.63146 ... 312!8i6656

Could be totally original? This bit of the A48 that always has been that, no doubt it has all those destinations on it from when this part of road had all the M4 traffic on it before the missing link was built in the early 90's.

[Bryn666]

1960s at the earliest. Very old regardless.