A gantry (also known as a sign holder, road sign holder, sign structure or road sign structure) is a

traffic sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduc ...

assembly in which signs are mounted or

railway signal A railway signal is a visual display device that conveys instructions or provides warning of instructions regarding the driver's authority to proceed. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly. Typically, a signal migh ...

s are supported on an overhead support. They also often contain the apparatus for traffic monitoring systems and

cameras A camera is an instrument used to capture and store images and videos, either digitally via an electronic image sensor, or chemically via a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. As a pivotal technology in the fields of photograp ...

, or

open road tolling Open road tolling (ORT), also called all-electronic tolling, cashless tolling, or free-flow tolling, is the collection of tolls on toll roads without the use of tollbooths. An electronic toll collection system is usually used instead. The major ...

systems. Gantries are usually built on high-traffic roads or routes with several lanes, where signs posted on the side of the highway would be hard for drivers to see. Gantries may be

cantilevered A cantilever is a rigid structural element that extends horizontally and is unsupported at one end. Typically it extends from a flat vertical surface such as a wall, to which it must be firmly attached. Like other structural elements, a cantilev ...

or one-sided on the left, right and center (sometimes referred to as a half-gantry or butterfly gantry), or they may be bridges with poles on each side. Similar gantries are used in

railway signalling Railway signalling (), or railroad signaling (), is a system used to control the movement of railway traffic. Trains move on fixed rails, making them uniquely susceptible to collision. This susceptibility is exacerbated by the enormous weight ...

or to suspend

overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, Electric multiple unit, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union ...

s on multi-track lines.

Around the world

Canada

Gantries are commonly used on urban highways in Canada to support overhead signs, with half-gantries used to place signs near exits where space does not permit having signs to the right side of the roadway. Gantries may also be used to hold cameras for toll road entrances/exits and to hold electronic information signs. Across Canada, highway signage on gantries is generally green, with blue being used for various specific purposes. For example, on Ontario's

400 series highways The 400-series highways are a network of controlled-access highways in the Canadian province of Ontario, forming a special subset of the provincial highway system. They are analogous to the Interstate Highway System in the United States or th ...

, blue signs are used to indicate outer collector lanes, while the standard green signs are used for inner express lanes. Blue signs are also used to indicate Express Toll Routes (such as

Ontario Highway 407 King's Highway 407, commonly referred to as Highway 407 and colloquially as the "four-oh-seven", is a 400-series highways, 400-series highway in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. Comprising a tolled privatel ...

). Overhead blue signs are also used to indicate roads going into airports. The style of gantry used are mostly truss gantries. Older gantries have truss supports (round or box) and newer ones are now supported by cylindrical legs. In most jurisdictions in Canada, signs that are mounted on overhead gantries are installed perpendicular to the roadway. In Québec, however, signs are angled slightly face-down towards the roadway such that the sign face is directed towards the motorists below. In

New Brunswick New Brunswick is a Provinces and Territories of Canada, province of Canada, bordering Quebec to the north, Nova Scotia to the east, the Gulf of Saint Lawrence to the northeast, the Bay of Fundy to the southeast, and the U.S. state of Maine to ...

, the opposite is true: signs are angled slightly face-up to capture and reflect more sunlight towards the roadway.

Hong Kong

Hong Kong's highways use a

gantry crane A gantry crane is a Crane (machine), crane built atop a wikt:gantry, gantry, which is a structure used to straddle an object or workspace. They can range from enormous "full" gantry cranes, capable of lifting some of the heaviest loads in the wor ...

type to support signs. The road signs are usually located on top and some have lights to indicate open or closed lanes.

United Kingdom

Gantry signs are being installed at various locations around the trunk

motorway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

network as increasing amounts of traffic mean that

road sign Traffic signs or road signs are signs erected at the side of or above roads to give instructions or provide information to road users. The earliest signs were simple wooden or stone milestones. Later, signs with directional arms were introduc ...

s at the side of the carriageway are frequently obscured by

large goods vehicle A large goods vehicle (LGV), or heavy goods vehicle (HGV), in the European Union (EU) is any lorry with a Gross combined weight rating, gross combination mass (GCM) of over . Sub-category N2 is used for vehicles between 3,500 kg and and N ...

s. They may also consist of

variable-message sign A variable- (also changeable-, electronic-, or dynamic-) message sign or message board, often abbreviated VMS, VMB, CMS, or DMS, and in the UK known as a matrix sign, is an electronic traffic sign often used on roadways to give travelers info ...

s, and more recently Active Traffic Management, to close lanes due to accidents and for other reasons. They can also be used to specify temporary speed limits. Gantries in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

display exit (junction) numbers, distances to junctions / exits (1 mile, 1/2 mile, 1/4 mile, 1/3 mile, 3/4 mile, 2/3 mile) and destinations reached, and if necessary what lane to use for them.

United States

Gantry signs are used frequently in the U.S., particularly in urban areas where

freeways A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

have an exit every mile to fit in with the grid system. These half-gantries usually have the exit number and the road or street that can be reached. Gantries can also span the whole road, such as at major junctions.

Designs

Truss A truss is an assembly of ''members'' such as Beam (structure), beams, connected by ''nodes'', that creates a rigid structure. In engineering, a truss is a structure that "consists of two-force members only, where the members are organized so ...

latticework __NOTOC__ Latticework is an openwork framework consisting of a criss-crossed pattern of strips of building material, typically wood or metal. The design is created by crossing the strips to form a grid or weave. Latticework may be functional &nd ...

designs File:SB US 98-301 Road Sign Gantry; Dade City, FL.jpg,

US 98 U.S. Route 98 (US 98) is an east–west United States Highway in the Southeastern United States that runs from western Mississippi to southern Florida. It was established in 1933 as a route between Pensacola, Florida, Pensacola and Apalachicola, ...

Dade City Dade City, officially the City of Dade City, is a city in, and the county seat of Pasco County, Florida, United States. It is located in the Tampa Bay Area, northeast of Tampa and southwest of Orlando. The population was 7,275 as of the 2020 c ...

File:Toll Collect Portique A65.JPG,

Electronic toll collection Electronic toll collection (ETC) is a wireless system to automatically collect the usage fee or Road pricing, toll charged to vehicles using toll roads, HOV lanes, toll bridges, and toll tunnels. It is a faster alternative which is replacing Tol ...

verification of

road tax Road tax, known by various names around the world, is a tax which has to be paid on, or included with, a motorised vehicle to use it on a public road. National implementations Australia All states and territories require an annual vehicle regist ...

payment by

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame construct ...

s on German

controlled-access highway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

s File:Borden A27 Houten.jpg, Near

Houten Houten () is a municipality in the Netherlands, in the province of Utrecht. Population centres The municipality consists of the following towns: * 't Goy * Houten * Schalkwijk * Tull en 't Waal Houten (town) The main town in the municipality i ...

, Netherlands File:Motorway_Sign_Gantry_-_geograph.org.uk_-_5757308.jpg, Gantry in the

, with access for maintenance File:Road_sign,_D816_Road.JPG, On the D.815 road in

Turkey Turkey, officially the Republic of Türkiye, is a country mainly located in Anatolia in West Asia, with a relatively small part called East Thrace in Southeast Europe. It borders the Black Sea to the north; Georgia (country), Georgia, Armen ...

File:N4 Eastbound.jpg, Super-span gantry near

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

File:Burlövsbron Kronetorp, 2019 (02).jpg, Near

Malmö Malmö is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, third-largest city in Sweden, after Stockholm and Gothenburg, and the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, sixth-largest city in Nordic countries, the Nordic region. Located on ...

, Sweden *T-shaped, butterfly or

pedestal A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...

– signs are mounted onto a T-shaped structure File:Georgia I75sb exit 62 .75 mile.jpg, Pedestal gantry sign in

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the South Caucasus * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the southeastern United States Georgia may also refer to: People and fictional characters * Georgia (name), a list of pe ...

File:A_8_AD_Inntal,_2014_(02).JPG, Butterfly gantry near Raubling, Germany File:Tol_JORR.JPG, On the

Jakarta Outer Ring Road The Jakarta Outer Ring Road (, abbreviated JORR) is a tolled ring road encircling Jakarta, Indonesia. It is divided into 7 sections, totalling up to . The JORR is managed by four toll road companies: Jakarta Lingkar Baratsatu, Marga Lingkar Jaka ...

File:A4-A104_-_2019-06-03_-_IMG_2480.jpg, Gantries placed on either side of the carriageway on the

A4 autoroute The A4 Autoroute, also known as autoroute de l'Est (), is a French ''Controlled-access highway, autoroute'' that travels between the cities of Paris and Strasbourg. It forms parts of European routes European route E17, E17, European route E25, ...

, France * Tubular pipes – may be round or square in shape File:I-680 south at SR 4.jpg, A tubular piped (monotube) gantry in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

File:Road signs on Onaiza Street in Doha.jpg, Cantilevered gantry in

Doha Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor (city), Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It ...

, Qatar File:Jumeirah_Rd.jpg, In

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

File:View from Szövő Street Road Bridge, gantry, 2020 Érd.jpg, Rear view of a gantry in

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

, with access for maintenance File:Autobahn-A3-Flughafen-Rhein-Main-2013-Ffm-035.jpg, Near

Frankfurt Airport Frankfurt Airport ( ) , is Germany's busiest international airport by passenger numbers, located in Frankfurt, Germany's fifth-largest city. Its official name according to the German Aeronautical Information Publication is Frankfurt Main Airpor ...

*Other designs File:Terminal East gantry sign at DIA with empty freeway during the pandemic. 2020-04-30.jpg, Terminal East gantry sign at

Denver International Airport Denver International Airport , often referred to by locals as DIA, is an international airport in the Western United States, primarily serving metropolitan Denver, Colorado, as well as the greater Front Range Urban Corridor. At , Effective Ju ...

with an empty freeway during the pandemic. File:Overhead Sign Gantry on the A494 - geograph.org.uk - 5615662.jpg, Older UK gantry, with concrete posts, near

Ewloe Ewloe (; , ) is a village and electoral ward in the community (Wales), community of Hawarden in Flintshire, Wales. It is situated close to the Flintshire/Cheshire sector of the Wales-England border. Flintshire County Council is based at St Davi ...

, Wales

Railway use

On railways, gantries span multiple

railway tracks Railway track ( and UIC terminology) or railroad track (), also known as permanent way () or "P way" ( and Indian English), is the structure on a railway or railroad consisting of the rails, fasteners, sleepers (railroad ties in American E ...

and carry either

s or both. A signal gantry is also used where to improve the visibility of multiple signals, for example around a sharp curve.https://safety.networkrail.co.uk/jargon-buster/signal gantry/#:~:text=signal%20gantry%20A%20framework%20suspended%20across%20several%20train,and%20upon%20which%20many%20signals%20may%20be%20mounted

Gallery of railway gantries

File:SR signals from cab of standard five.jpg, A gantry of British semaphore signals seen from the cab of a steam locomotive File:Overhead_catenary_bridge.jpg, Gantry with old and new suspended equipment at Grivita railway station,

Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ) is the capital and largest city of Romania. The metropolis stands on the River Dâmbovița (river), Dâmbovița in south-eastern Romania. Its population is officially estimated at 1.76 million residents within a greater Buc ...

. File:Glasgow Central Station - geograph.org.uk - 1108849.jpg, Signal gantry in Glasgow Central Station File:Railway-electrification.jpg,

Overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, Electric multiple unit, electric multiple units, trolleybuses or trams. The generic term used by the International Union ...

gantry in Denmark File:COUNTY-Pre-Rebuild-West-Gantry.jpg, 4-track section of Amtrak's

Northeast Corridor The Northeast Corridor (NEC) is an electrified railroad line in the Northeast megalopolis of the United States. Owned primarily by Amtrak, it runs from Boston in the north to Washington, D.C., in the south, with major stops in Providence, Rhod ...

New Jersey New Jersey is a U.S. state, state located in both the Mid-Atlantic States, Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern United States, Northeastern regions of the United States. Located at the geographic hub of the urban area, heavily urbanized Northeas ...

File:Railway overhead line electification gantry Church Road Tottenham London England 1.jpg, Railway

electification gantry Church Road

Tottenham Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...

London England File:Paris-St-Lazare Portiques A2A3.jpg, Gantry at

Gare Saint-Lazare The Gare Saint-Lazare (; ), officially Paris Saint Lazare, is one of the seven large mainline List of Paris railway stations, railway station terminals in Paris, France. It was the first railway station built in Paris, opening in 1837. It mostly ...

File:Gantry of Sri Lanka semaphore signals,main line,Sri Lanka.JPG, Gantry of Sri Lanka semaphore signals

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gantry (Road Sign) Traffic signs Street furniture