7.4Determining the direction sign main background colour for different sign styles#
Direction signs which direct traffic toward, or are located on approach to, or along a toll road may have a number of different styles and arrangements. The main background colour for direction signs will be either green or blue, primarily dependant on the signs' locations:
- the main background colour of the direction sign is blue, if the direction sign is on the immediate approach to or is located on a toll road, excluding when:
- the direction signs are immediately prior to the end of the toll road (provided they do not direct road users onto another toll road), as the road beyond this point is not a toll road, or
- the direction signs only include information about an exit to a non-tolled road
- the main background colour of the direction sign is green, if the direction sign is NOT on the immediate approach to or is located on a toll road, including:
- the direction signs immediately prior to the end of the toll road and the direction signs on a toll road which only include information about an exit to a non-tolled road (see previous point 'main background colour is blue').
The background colour for different direction sign styles shall be determined as follows:
- Stacked style signs may have different background colours for each panel which will be determined by the type of road they are directing traffic toward, on to or along.
- The main background colour on diagrammatic style signs shall generally be determined by the location; however, this may be overridden when the sign is on the immediate approach to a toll road by the type of road the sign is directing traffic on to or along in straight ahead direction of travel. This would be the case where a diagrammatic sign is used on a non-tolled road which includes exit direction information onto a toll road.
- Overhead lane designation style signs may have different background colours for each of the top panels related to the lanes (or groups of lanes) below, which will be determined by the type of road they are directing traffic toward, on to or along in those directions.
- The main background colour on exit style signs or overhead signs will be determined by the type of road they are directing traffic toward, on to or along (on each individual sign) in those directions.
This may mean that, along a length of road, the main background colour may change between blue and green, dependant on the signs' locations and the types of road they are directing traffic toward, on to or along in those directions. The following Table 7.4 provides some example direction signs with notes on how the main background colour(s) and patch colours were determined.
Table 7.4 – Example direction signs with explanatory notes
| Example direction sign | Colour determination |
|---|---|
| This diagrammatic direction sign is located on a toll road with the straight ahead direction along the toll road, so the main background colour is blue. As there is a toll point ahead, the TOLL patch is included and positioned next to the M2 route identifier. Logan Road is a not a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so all the information about this exit is shown in a patch with a green background. | |
| This diagrammatic direction sign is located on a toll road with the straight ahead direction along the toll road, so the main background colour is blue. As there is a toll point ahead, the TOLL patch is included and positioned next to the M2 route identifier. The Gateway Motorway is a toll road and this exit leads directly to the toll road, so all the information about this exit is also shown in the main blue background. As there is a toll point in this direction (via the exit), the TOLL patch is included and positioned next to the M2 route identifier. | |
| This diagrammatic direction sign is not located on a toll road. While it is located immediately prior to a toll road, the straight ahead direction on this diagrammatic direction sign is not to a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour is green. The Logan Motorway is a toll road and this exit leads directly to the toll road, so all the information about this exit is shown in a blue background patch. As there is a toll point in this direction (via the exit), the TOLL patch is included within this blue patch and positioned next to the M2 route identifier. | |
| This diagrammatic direction sign is not located on a toll road and the straight ahead direction is not to a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour is green. The Gateway Motorway is not a toll road at this point, so all the information about this exit is also shown in a green background; however, while the Gateway Motorway is not a toll road from this point, the direction sign does include information which involves travel on a toll road. As the Gold Coast destination shown in this panel is reached by travelling through a toll point, it is included in a blue background patch which also includes the TOLL patch. | |
| This diagrammatic direction sign is located on a toll road with the straight ahead direction along the toll road, so the main background colour is blue. There is no toll point ahead on the M1, so the TOLL patch is not located with the M1 route identifier; however, Ipswich is reached by travelling along a different route some distance ahead that is a toll road, and which involves travel through toll points, so the TOLL patch is located next to this destination. Mt Gravatt Capalaba Road is not a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so all the information about this exit is shown in a patch with a green background. | |
| This reassurance direction sign is not located on or on the immediate approach to a toll road, so the main background colour of the top panel is green. As the Gold Coast destination shown in this panel is reached by travelling through a toll point, it is included in a blue background patch which also includes the TOLL patch. Note that this sign is also located after the direction signs which include 'Gold Coast' as a destination and which use the TOLL patch and colour scheme for this destination (see Section 7.9). Both Ipswich and Toowoomba are accessed via a different route some distance ahead (the M2) which is also a toll road and involves travel through toll points, so are included in a separate panel with a blue background and the TOLL patch. The message 'VIA M2 TOLL' is used as a heading for this panel. | |
| This reassurance direction sign is located on a toll road, so the main background colour is blue. While the Gateway Motorway is a toll road, there are no toll points in this direction along the M1, so the TOLL patch is not included on this sign. | |
| This stacked direction sign is NOT located on a toll road. The top panel with a straight ahead direction arrow is not to a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour of this panel is green; however, the M1 is accessed in this direction and, while not a toll road from this point, it does include information which involves travel on a toll road. As the Gold Coast destination shown in this panel is reached by travelling through a toll point, it is included in a blue background patch which also includes the TOLL patch. The bottom panel with a right direction arrow is to a section of the Gateway Motorway which is not a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour of this panel is green. | |
| This stacked direction sign is NOT located on a toll road. The top panel with a straight ahead direction arrow is not a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour of this panel is green. The middle panel exit has a blue main background colour as it is an exit which leads directly to a toll road. All information related to this exit (including the TOLL patch as there is a toll point in that direction) is included in this blue background. The bottom panel with a right direction arrow is not to a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour of this panel is green. | |
| This overhead lane designation style direction sign is located on a toll road with the straight ahead direction continuing along the toll road, so the main background colour above the straight ahead arrows is blue. The Gateway Motorway is a toll road at this point and this exit leads directly to the toll road, so all the information about this exit is also shown in a blue background above the left exit arrow. As there is a toll point in both directions, the TOLL patch is included and positioned next to the M2 route identifier in both panels. The bottom panel with the lane designation arrows always has a green background colour. | |
| This overhead lane designation style direction sign is not located on a toll road. The straight ahead direction is not to a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour above the straight ahead arrows is green. The Gateway Motorway is not a toll road at this point, so all the information about this exit is also shown in a green background above the left exit arrows; however, while the Gateway Motorway is not a toll road from this point, the direction sign does include information which involves travel on a toll road. As the Gold Coast destination shown in this panel is reached by travelling through a toll point, it is included in a blue background patch which also includes the TOLL patch. The bottom panel with the lane designation arrows always has a green background colour. |
| Example direction sign | Colour determination |
|---|---|
| This diagrammatic direction sign is not located on a toll road. While it is located immediately prior to a toll road, the straight ahead direction on this diagrammatic direction sign is not to a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour is green. The Gateway Motorway is a toll road, and both exits lead directly to this toll road, so all the information about each exit is shown in a blue background patch. The exit to the right has a toll point in this direction so the TOLL patch is included within this blue patch and positioned next to the M1 route identifier. The exit to the left does not have a toll point in this direction on the M1; however, there are toll points on the M2, and the destination of Ipswich is reached by travelling along the M2 and through the toll points. The TOLL patch is included in this blue background patch next to the destination of Ipswich. The destination of the Gold Coast is reached by travelling along the M1, which is a toll road but is reached without travelling through a toll point; therefore, the TOLL patch is not applicable to this destination or the M1 route identifier. If Ipswich was not included as a destination in this direction, the TOLL patch would not be shown within this patch. | |
| This diagrammatic direction sign is not located on a toll road and the straight ahead direction is not to a toll road (there are no toll points in this direction), so the main background colour is green. The Gateway Motorway is not a toll road at this point, so is also shown in a green background; however, while the Gateway Motorway is not a toll road from this point, the direction sign does include information which involves travel on a toll road. As the Ipswich and Gold Coast destinations shown in this panel are reached by travelling through a toll point, they are included in a blue background patch which also includes the TOLL patch. BOONDALL WETLANDS is a tourist destination, so is included in a brown patch with a white border. |
