In the United Kingdom, emergency diversion routes, or formally off-network tactical diversion routes are permanently signed detour routes: planned road traffic routes that bypass the main

trunk road A trunk road is a major highway with a specific legal classification in some jurisdictions, notably the United Kingdom, Sweden and formerly Ireland. Trunk roads are planned and managed at the national-level, distinguishing them from non-trunk ro ...

network. Emergency diversion routes provide the public, where possible, with a planned, checked and agreed junction to junction diversion route that circumnavigates an incident which has resulted in the closure of the main carriageway. In some other locations, suitable diversion routes are not possible; this then requires

National Highways National Highways (NH), formerly Highways England and before that the Highways Agency, is a State-owned enterprise, government-owned company charged with operating, maintaining and improving Roads in England, motorways and major A roads in Eng ...

and its partners to implement alternative tactics such as strategic signs and signals. These are managed by the National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC). Emergency diversion routes are marked with

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 in the form of simple geometric shapes – open and filled circles, squares, and diamonds. Normally, these additions to roadsigns will be ignored by drivers. When an incident closes a motorway or trunk road, police and

National Highways traffic officer National Highways traffic officers, previously Highways England traffic officers (20152021) and Highways Agency traffic officers (HATO 20042015), are employed by National Highways in England. They are a civilian service who respond to both e ...

s can activate 'trigger signs' at junctions before a closure advising traffic as to which symbol to follow around the incident along an alternative road and bring road users back onto the motorway or main road at a later junction beyond the closure. The signs used for these routes can be found in the publication ''Know your Traffic Signs''.

Emergency diversion route symbols

Solid versions

EDR Symbol - Solid Circle.svg, Solid circle EDR Symbol - Solid Square.svg, Solid square EDR Symbol - Solid Triangle.svg, Solid triangle EDR Symbol - Solid Diamond.svg, Solid diamond

Hollow versions

EDR Symbol - Hollow Circle.svg, Hollow circle EDR Symbol - Hollow Square.svg, Hollow square EDR Symbol - Hollow Triangle.svg, Hollow triangle EDR Symbol - Hollow Diamond.svg, Hollow diamond

Related signs

UK traffic sign 2716.svg, Diversion trigger sign – the

M1 Motorway The M1 motorway connects London to Leeds, where it joins the A1(M) motorway, A1(M) near Aberford, to connect to Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle. It was the first inter-urban motorway to be completed in the UK; the first motorway in the count ...

is closed ahead, follow the 'hollow diamond' diversion to arrive at back the M1 after the closure.

Emergency diversion route symbols

Solid versions

Hollow versions

Related signs

References

See also