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Speed limit on blank gantries of smart motorways.

Hello, just looking for some advice. There's a motorway I use quite frequently and it's a smart motorway with a variable speed limit. I join from a slip road that is quite close to the end of the variable speed limits and there are 2 cameras before the speed (usually) returns to NSL. My question is: When the first gantry after joining is blank and the second (last) gantry is also blank - what is the limit? Assuming there are no previous signs or speed limits shown before the first gantry I pass, what speed can I go? 70? I usually go 50 to be safe as the gantries are only usually blank when road works are occurring and only 1/2 lanes are open. One more thing to note, A few miles after the last gantry, there's a slip road onto another motorway with a "Variable speed limit ends here, NSL sign" and on the continuing original motorway, an orange NSL sign displayed at the same general area. So does this mean when the gantries have been blank it's not NSL as the sign later on indicates? It is an orange NSL sign so potentially just *reminding* people the speed limit after road works and lane closures?

(edited 8 months ago)

Reply 1

JohnB1

Hi there. On a smart motorway, the NSL applies unless indicated otherwise. Therefore, if the gantries are blank then the NSL applies.

Reply 2

absterlmao1

Original post by JohnB1

Hi there. On a smart motorway, the NSL applies unless indicated otherwise. Therefore, if the gantries are blank then the NSL applies.

Thank you!

Reply 3

RedGiant

An unlit sign is not technically a legal equivalent to an NSL sign. However, HADEC cameras are fitted with an EAV system (the 2/3 cameras on a pole before the gantry) to determine what speed limit the camera will enforce.