New gantries to stop m-way eco-zealots

PrOTESTErS will find it harder to climb motorway gantries built using a new design, National Highways said.

The roadside structures will be ‘ more resilient to trespassers’ as steps for maintenance crews will be inside pillars rather than outside, according to the government-owned company.

gantries above the M25 were repeatedly scaled by Just Stop Oil activists in November last year, bringing traffic on the UK’s busiest motorway to a halt. The structures are used to display information to drivers, such as speed limits and warnings of safety hazards.

National Highways, which is responsible for England’s motorways and major A roads, held a competition to replace existing designs. The winning entry was produced by London-based architecture company Useful Studio. It was selected for its ‘simplicity and elegance’.

The gantries will have a lower carbon footprint compared with current designs as they use less steel. roads minister richard Holden said: ‘[Useful Studio’s] innovative approach is bound to improve the journeys of motorists while also contributing to a more sustainable future.’

Useful Studio will work with National Highways to develop its design concept. It is expected to become the standard design for new gantries in around two years.