M42

[Stevebrooke]

I went from Wakefield to Hereford yesterday and went along the M42 round Birmingham.

Can anyone tell me about all those gantries on the stretch past the NEC and the white markings on the road as you pass under them?
They look like speed camera markings but I can't see anything that looks like speed cameras, although there are a lot of CCTV cameras both in the gantries and at the side of the road.

Before you ask, I just made sure by not going above 65.

 

[Duck n Dive]

I've been along that stretch a few times recently. As far as I know it's a throwback to the long term road works that have been on that stretch for some time. A few months ago there was a really long stretch of 50 MPH limits there and thats where the cameras/signs were.

Don't think I ever actually saw more than 1 or 2 actual cameras but there were a lot of painted road markings - often just after the gantrys. Never actually saw any sign of cameras on the gantrys though.

Came North along there on Monday eve and as far as I can recall the 50 limits seemed to be gone?

:yo:

 

[Stevebrooke]

I have been to the NEC a few times in the last couple of years and have been through the roadworks with the 50 limit. I think it is only recently that the roadworks have disappeared.

One positive to come out of the trip was that with such an abundance of markings and camera signs there was no speeding, no bunching, and the traffic seemed to flow very smoothly.

 

[bitontheside]

I went from Wakefield to Hereford yesterday and went along the M42 round Birmingham.

Can anyone tell me about all those gantries on the stretch past the NEC and the white markings on the road as you pass under them?
They look like speed camera markings but I can't see anything that looks like speed cameras, although there are a lot of CCTV cameras both in the gantries and at the side of the road.

Before you ask, I just made sure by not going above 65.

CCTV cameras weren't SPECS cameras were they?

 

[Duck n Dive]

CCTV cameras weren't SPECS cameras were they?

Nope - the cameras are on the hard shoulder side on posts which curve over on the top like half an archway - you can clearly see the cameras which appear to be standard CCTV.

I thought specs were all forward facing over the particular carriageway? Read somewhere that if you spot specs and change lanes between sets of specs cameras it foils them? Might be just one of many fables though??

I have tried to look very hard in mirrors (car and bike) after going under the gantrys and never seen anything like a camera on the gantrys behind the signs (which is where they would need to be to use the markings).

Any cameras I ever saw on that stretch were normal GATSO's at the side of the road.

:yo: :yo:

 

[R2B2]

I know this stretch of motorway quite well and it is a right hot-spot for cameras and hand held units. The road works have been going on for about two years until very recently. There were a few Gatso's in each direction during the works and the limit was 50, as said. The camera's were very active - I hardly ever went along there without seeing at least one of them flash. There was once big signs up stating how many people had been done, and it was in the tens of thousands.

There was also a string of four SPECS on the southbound side, at the northern end, but at this time i'm not sure if they're still there.

When it's all finished I think there is going to be gantry mounted Gatso's for each lane, similar to that on the M25, but I dont think they are active yet.

Haven't been along there for about a fortnight - were the 50 signs still up??

 

[HiHoSilver]

Yeah R2B2's right..they're gonna turn it into the M25 with variable speed limits which will change with the flow of traffic:xm

Still OK at the moment tho' cause they're not installedman8um

 

[Coggy]

Went along it last week-end,westbound.

Gatso on nearside in the 50 mph limit I think.
Couldn't see any cameras on the gantries,although there are subtle camera markings in the road under every second gantry...
:violin:
Only did 50mph through it...looking for the M40 at the time