Skip advert
Advertisement

New overhead gantry design for UK motorways unveiled

Useful Studio wins a National Highways competition to design the next generation of motorway overhead gantry

Highways England motorway gantry competition - winning design

The design for the next generation of motorway overhead gantry has been unveiled and can be expected to appear on motorways across the country in around two years’ time.

A competition held jointly by National Highways and the Royal Institute of British Architects attracted 32 entries. The proposed gantries were expected to meet a series of design principles, such as demonstrating sensitivity to their surroundings, lacking any unnecessary clutter and being made from sustainable materials.

The winner was Useful Studio, whose design impressed the judges by looking streamlined and modern. It’s environmentally friendly too, because it requires less steel in its construction. The steel that is used is also pre-weathered, rather than painted, which should mean lower maintenance requirements.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Entrants were not expected to consider security as part of the brief, but Useful Studio’s concept also stood out for being more resilient to trespassers – National Highways says its access point is concealed, meaning it’s harder to access without authorisation.

Other entries were commended for including innovative ideas, such as wood composite materials and futuristic LED panels. Some entries even looked into the question removing gantries altogether and replacing them with in-car displays.

Duncan Smith, executive director for operations at National Highways, said: “This is a great opportunity for us to develop a more streamlined, elegant, and consistent visual appearance for roadside gantries to enhance drivers’ experience when driving on England’s motorways and major A-roads. 

Motorway

“Existing designs tend to emphasise function over form; our challenge is to create innovative structures that can accommodate the required signage and equipment that are more sympathetic to the environment.

“In selecting Useful Studio as the winner, the judging panel admired the simplicity and elegance of the pared-back design approach, and the opportunities it presented in terms of a resource efficient, standardised, coherent suite of gantry structures that would be potentially sympathetic to a broad range of settings and contexts.”

Are you a fan of the new gantry design? Let us know in the comments section below...

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

Kia UK boss calls for clear ZEV roadmap, plus “modest” consumer incentives
Kia's UK boss, Paul Philpott standing next to a Kia EV6

Kia UK boss calls for clear ZEV roadmap, plus “modest” consumer incentives

Brand CEO says ZEV mandate is a threat, asking for clarity from the Labour government
News
6 Jan 2025
Car finance scandal: Supreme Court hearing could halve number of claimants
Finance contract, car key and calculator on desk

Car finance scandal: Supreme Court hearing could halve number of claimants

Scandal involving car finance commission could see motorists entitled to billions of pounds in payouts
News
19 Dec 2024
Dieselgate is back! Thousands of cars could be recalled as scandal returns
Emissions tests questioned

Dieselgate is back! Thousands of cars could be recalled as scandal returns

The DfT is currently investigating as many as 47 models across several brands that are suspected to use diesel defeat devices
News
14 Nov 2024
MoT failure rate is worse for vans than cars
MOT

MoT failure rate is worse for vans than cars

More than a third of light commercials failed their first MoT last year, new figures show
News
12 Nov 2024

Most Popular

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price
Ford Capri - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: new Ford Capri looks a lot less controversial at this price

Rebooted Seventies classic is now an electric SUV for a low monthly outlay. It’s our Deal of the Day for 5 February
News
5 Feb 2025
Best car insurance comparison sites 2025
Person browsing on a laptop

Best car insurance comparison sites 2025

It’s always a wise policy to shop around for car insurance cover, so which websites make it easiest?
Product group tests
6 Feb 2025
Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month
Jaguar I-Pace - front cornering

Car Deal of the Day: Bag one of the last Jaguar I-Pace electric SUVs for under £400 a month

The I-Pace shows how good an electric Jag can be. It’s our Deal of the Day for 7 February
News
7 Feb 2025

Find a car with the experts