Siting_Of_New_Electronic _Sign_Motorway_users

As observed at approximately 16:00, Monday 29th September, 2025. A new "Real-time" (?) electronic sign has recently been attached to an existing gantry spanning the Westbound carriageway of the M40 immediately before the off-spur to the Southbound M25. judging by the information I observed on it, this sign is designed to give road users information about the road conditions on the M25 and beyond (There was information regarding the M1 displayed on it when I went past)

Unfortunately, and presumably for reasons of economy, the new "Live" sign has been attached to an existing gantry that is too near the off-spur exit. Nowadays, at most times of the day, traffic queues stretch back onto the M40 from the heavily congested southbound M25, well past the site of this new sign

The siting of the new sign doesn't provide road-users with the information they need in a timely fashion so that they can lane change well in advance in an ordered, non-panicked way.

The sign needs to be positioned several hundred yards back towards the East, thereby enabling road-users to have time to read the information, absorb it and make a decision on their routeing before reaching the turn-off for the Southbound and Northbound M25 and the envitable spill-over of queuing traffic onto the M40.

As currently sited, the sign forces road users to split their attention between the signage and road conditions just at the point when traffic conditions become markedly more hazardous as drivers change lanes and attention needs to be focused on road conditions rather than signage. And those drivers not familiar with the area, perhaps with the least knowledge of contemporary road conditions in the area, will be the ones changing lanes at the last moment. The siting of the existing gantry may have been appropriate in the late 1970s when traffic volumes were much lighter, but not today. IMHO, the current siting represents a bit of a hazard in today's environment. For the sake of a few hundred metres of electrical supply and data cable I would suggest the gantry and new signage should be moved several hundred yards back East.