Innovative Tourist Gateway signs feature a full-colour illustration of an iconic landmark in a certain town, with the first of these signs have been unveiled in Portsmouth.
Two 5m-high signs featuring an image of Portsmouth’s Spinnaker Tower have been installed on the south-bound M275 leading into the city.
Similar signs have since gone up in the Somerset town of Radstock and neighbouring villages Writhlington, Clandown and Haydon, while authorities in Bath and North East Somerset have erected a number of bespoke versions of the signs around the county.
The Gateway signs first appeared in Plymouth last year after Rennicks UK, in partnership with a small number of sign-makers, created a digital printing technology to produce the signs.
Our technology has opened the door for new development of traffic signs and that could inspire others to use the process to suit their own needs”
David Skinner, of Rennicks, comments: “That project created a buzz of interest and I’m delighted it seems to have captured the imagination of authorities elsewhere.
“Several towns and cities are now on board and there are others already in the pipeline.
“Our technology has opened the door for new development of traffic signs and that could inspire others to use the process to suit their own needs.”
The uptake of such signage could also increase significantly under new guidance from the Department for Transport.
Gateway signs are set to feature in new Traffic Signs Regulation and General Directions (TSRGD) 2015 guidance.