Skip to main content

Barnshaws’ curved steel post aids motorway traffic flow

UK company Barnshaws Metal Bending is supplying curved steel posts as part of a motorway sign designed to improve traffic flow on the UK’s new smart motorways. Smart motorways enable the hard shoulder to be used at peak times, creating a temporary fourth lane. Variable message signs (MS4) attached to the curved tubular steel post developed by Barnshaws display information for motorists, including when the hard shoulder is available for use. The design has resulted in faster installation of the signs
August 1, 2014 Read time: 1 min
UK company Barnshaws Metal Bending is supplying curved steel posts as part of a motorway sign designed to improve traffic flow on the UK’s new smart motorways.


Smart motorways enable the hard shoulder to be used at peak times, creating a temporary fourth lane.  Variable message signs (MS4) attached to the curved tubular steel post developed by Barnshaws display information for motorists, including when the hard shoulder is available for use.

The design has resulted in faster installation of the signs and less disruption to traffic during installation and maintenance.

Related Content

  • Calls for smart motorway halt grow louder
    November 5, 2021
    UK transport select committee says hard shoulder motorways “apparently confuse” drivers
  • Navtech Radar’s ClearWay in motorway trials
    March 26, 2014
    Navtech Radar, the world’s leading manufacturer of Radar-based Automatic Incident Detection (AID) solutions for traffic management applications, is supplying its ClearWay radar-based automatic incident detection (AID) solution planned trials on hard shoulder running on strategic motorways in the north of England. The trials are part of a new, all-lane-running smart motorways scheme. For the initial trials, Navtech Radar has supplied ten TS350-X Radars and the sophisticated Witness analytical software. E
  • Australia highway to receive smart tech 
    October 12, 2021
    Smart motorway tech will be installed between Pine River and Caloundra Road
  • New Zealand’s smart motorway opens
    July 15, 2016
    Commuters heading north on Wellington’s urban motorway will now get a smoother trip as the new lane is fully opened and New Zealand’s first smart motorway is turned on in the northbound direction. Using variable speed limits, which will be adjusted in real time in response to changing traffic conditions, the smart motorway will pace vehicles to smooth the traffic flow. Officials say this will result in safer journeys with more predictable travel times. It will also free up nearby roads for better public