Gantry (transport)

Gantry signs are commonly used in urban highways in Canada to support overhead signs. Half-gantries are used to place signs near exits where space does not permit having signs to the right side of the roadway. Gantries can also be used to hold cameras for toll road entrances/exits and to hold electronic information signs, such as on Ontario Highway 407. 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, the opposite is true: signs are angled slightly face-up to capture and reflect more sunlight towards the roadway.

The colors of the gantry sign may indicate different things in Canada. Generally, the signs are green (similar to the United States) however different colored signs may exist for certain purposes. For example, the Ontario 400 series highway will use green for the inner Express lanes while using dark blue for the outer collector lanes. Another reason for blue signs would be Express Toll Routes (Highway 407 Toll Route utilizes some blue signs at entrances). Finally, overhead blue signs may be used near airports (such as the roads going into Toronto Pearson Airport or Vancouver International Airport).

Hong Kong's highways use a gantry crane type to support signs. The road signs are usually located on top and some have lights to indicate open or closed lanes.

Gantry signs are being installed at various locations around the trunk motorway network as increasing amounts of traffic mean that road signs at the side of the carriageway are frequently obscured by large goods vehicles. They may also consist of variable-message signs, 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 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.

A tubular piped gantry in California.

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

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  View toward Iparos Street Interchange (Exit 18) from Szövő Street Road Bridge over M7 motorway in Parkváros neighborhood, Érd, Pest County, Hungary
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  Terminal East gantry sign at Denver International Airport (DIA) with an empty freeway during the pandemic.
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  At Colorado Springs
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  US 98 Dade City
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  Electronic toll collection verification of road tax payment by trucks on German controlled-access highways
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  A gantry of British semaphore signals seen from the cab of a steam locomotive
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  Gantry with old and new suspended equipment at Grivita railway station, Bucharest.
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  Signal gantry in Glasgow Central Station
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  Overhead line gantry in Denmark
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  4-track section of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor in New Jersey
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  Railway overhead line electification gantry Church Road Tottenham London England
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  Gantry at Gare Saint-Lazare
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  Gantry of Sri Lanka semaphore signals