…whats that all about?
For years overhead matrix signs have said “GRITTING IN PROGRESS”
Why the change?
Never see anyone spreading it either
On motorways it’s always been spreading and all the motorway gritters were always marked as spreading on the back not gritting.I think it’s the type of mix in that they never used grit on motorways.
Carryfast:
I think they never used grit on motorways.
I was stuck on the M25 at j21 last night at 23.00 (caused by trucks unable to get traction) and there was no sign of any gritters
I was loaded so was able to keep moving but there were a few that were well and truly stuck
All it means is the bloke in the highways office is having his chips and spreading his salt on them, has nothing to do with the road network! 
Carryfast:
On motorways it’s always been spreading and all the motorway gritters were always marked as spreading on the back not gritting.I think it’s the type of mix in that they never used grit on motorways.
Nope It was alway Gritting in progress up to last year then as said this year and i’m on about in the last few months its been changed to salt spreading even on the back of the gritters it said GRITTING IN PROGRESS…
the new highways agency trucks , now have brine tanks fitted to the side
in one of thier sheds where i run out of is a heap of white salt ,which is mixed in a tank to produce the brine
normal grit is used in the spreader and the brine is mixed with it as it spreads
so its a saltly, brine, grit spreading 
this is the way i understand it to work
cheers graham
You should always take matrix sign messages with a pinch of salt anyway ! Like the one on The M6 at J11 South that said “Fog Slow down” in the bright winter sunshine this afternoon. 
Secretelephant:
Like the one on The M6 at J11 South that said “Fog Slow down” in the bright winter sunshine this afternoon.
I saw ‘Fog’ on a matrix on the M25 when there wasnt a cloud in the sky, its because these signs have all sorts of sensors, and the fog one can be triggered simply by a spiders cob web! What a great investment those sensors were.
Clever technology, my arse!
nick2008:
Carryfast:
On motorways it’s always been spreading and all the motorway gritters were always marked as spreading on the back not gritting.I think it’s the type of mix in that they never used grit on motorways.Nope It was alway Gritting in progress up to last year then as said this year and i’m on about in the last few months its been changed to salt spreading even on the back of the gritters it said GRITTING IN PROGRESS…
I drove motorway gritters from 1980-1985 and they all definitely had a Spreading sign on the back not Gritting unlike the local four wheelers and also all the ones I’ve seen since whenever I’ve bothered to take notice.But they might have changed things around relatively more recently and I’ve not bothered to notice the difference but they’ve obviously gone back to the way it was if that’s the case.
If the matrix sign is faulty, it may have developed a fault at the console end, it means it can’t be cancelled and they have to wait for an engineer to reset it. The control room operators have a couple of minutes to turn them off or it affects the key performance indicators (KPI’s) Which means a black mark and slapped ankles. 
i think theres an HI missing somwhere and delete the al cos its not as good as it used to be
hat coat taxi follow that spreader
I observe the matrix signs but because they often have wrong information on them, I react to what I can see.
Which is a wise thing to do, they are there to advise you and for you to react accordingly.
Rick B:
I observe the matrix signs but because they often have wrong information on them, I react to what I can see.
a partly snow covered matrix told me and fellow motorists at 3am to
DRINK AND DRIVE 
so i reached into the mini fridge…
The matrix`s on the M23 for the last three weeks have been telling me not to drink and drive…Does that mean that the day they are displaying nothing, that I can have a drink?? 
The VMS that say “don’t drink & drive” “check your fuel” “don’t hog the middle lane” etc are Campaign messages, people in high places decide which area of the network these signs are going to be displayed, and when, often the data of previous months/years for incidents relating to certain problems is used. ie. the “check your fuel” VMS (Variable Message Sign) were set in know area’s of high proportions of breakdowns due to drivers running out of fuel (would you believe it, we had 4 HGV’s run out tonight on my shift, doh!)
The VMS that say, “10 miles to J21A, 10 mins” etc, are set automatically by ANPR readers, these note the last 3 digets of numberplates, and check how long it takes for them to get to the next checkpoint (never giving a time less then 70mph would take!)
The VMS that say anything to do with “Queues” are set automatically by MIDAS (go look it up!) these are basically loops in the road surface that measure the average speed of traffic flowing over them, slow abnormal loads will trigger these as well. A certain amount of traffic has to flow over the loops faster than the trigger speed to clear the settings which are automatically scanned every 4 minutes or so.
Any VMS that says anything to do with accident, debris, obstruction, lane closures etc. we set manually, and should be true and correct, the only time that you’ll not find anything is if it’s just been removed, and the patrol has not radio’d for the signals to be cleared, (this also takes a couple of minutes) if you see “INCIDENT” then it’s not been confirmed by either a police patrol, HATO, or HA ISU crew finding it yet, once it’s confirmed as being there, the signs should be changed to whatever best matches the problem, or cleared if “no traced”
So if you see signs for lane closures, move out of the affected lane straight away,(remember, if you go through a red X, you can be booked!) keep the traffic flowing, don’t run up to the cones then make the other lane stop to let you in. Lane closures are not put on for the fun of it, trust me!
ROADWORKS…don’t get me going about roadworks!!!
Oh, and it’s been changed to “Salt Spreading” because drivers thought the grit damaged their cars, the HA say that it doesn’t as it’s not actually grit, but a cocktail of non-gritty stuff (far too technical for me!), and they believe that the message should be changed accordingly.
Arewethereyet?:
…whats that all about?For years overhead matrix signs have said “GRITTING IN PROGRESS”
Why the change?
- Nothing to do with the roads. It’s ecological brainwashing emanating from the Copenhagen talks. The Polar ice is melting into the sea. Sea levels are rising thereby reducing the ‘land’ mass. The oceans contain an proportion of salt. Hence, salt is spreading.
OR
- The change can be linked to the economic downturn and the need to pursue policies of ‘value for money’ in order to replenish the Public ■■■■■. “Salt Spreading” contains fewer letters and is therefore quicker to type and, in relation to #1, uses less ‘leccy’.
Obvious innit.
The Highway Man:
If the matrix sign is faulty, it may have developed a fault at the console end, it means it can’t be cancelled and they have to wait for an engineer to reset it.
In the days of the old (and still) overhead gantry matrix signals, if one went ‘rogue’, then it was simply a case of, ‘up the ladder’ and throw the mains switch for the individual display. The ‘techies’ could bugger and ■■■■ about all day but, until they got off their arses and actually visited the location, they were never going to get it working properly.
Krankee:
"
- The change can be linked to the economic downturn and the need to pursue policies of ‘value for money’ in order to replenish the Public ■■■■■. “Salt Spreading” contains fewer letters and is therefore quicker to type and, in relation to #1, uses less ‘leccy’.
Obvious innit.
The Highway Man:
If the matrix sign is faulty, it may have developed a fault at the console end, it means it can’t be cancelled and they have to wait for an engineer to reset it.In the days of the old (and still) overhead gantry matrix signals, if one went ‘rogue’, then it was simply a case of, ‘up the ladder’ and throw the mains switch for the individual display. The ‘techies’ could bugger and ■■■■ about all day but, until they got off their arses and actually visited the location, they were never going to get it working properly.
We don’t type the message in, they are set messages that we have to choose from a list. (there is a good story as to why they aren’t free text, but I’ll save that for another day )
You’re right about getting the techie up the ladder, the problem is that a lot of the stuff is now so old, spares are difficult to get for them, and the techies can’t keep up. (lots of the old central res matrix are being removed with new signs/signals being installed in their place.
The real Biffo:
ie. the “check your fuel” VMS (Variable Message Sign) were set in know area’s of high proportions of breakdowns due to drivers running out of fuel (would you believe it, we had 4 HGV’s run out tonight on my shift, doh!!!
Was that you setting signals for the numpty in the 40 footer who ran out of fuel in L1 jnc 6 tonight
Or the last one who ran out of fuel L1 over thelwall recently
That’s to Mr Numpty at Jnc 6, we couldn’t assist with the TRUCK fire on the M6 to try and keep things moving. Oh well 
As for salt spreading i can’t see that lasting long because the hoses they use to fill the tanks for the NEW SUPER FAST ACTING “PREWET SALT” will probably freeze going on past performance