Motorway signs

Australia

The signs in Australia are based on one federal standard, but there are differences in the signposting between the various states and territories. This is particularly the case on motorways. For that reason, this page makes a division between the Australian states with motorways, being Victoria, NSW, Queensland and WA. Any volunteer to supply me with signs from the remaining Aussie state with motorways, being South Australia?

New South Wales
The first approach sign in NSW already shows all the exit destinations (or focal points, as they call them in Australia), but the pull-through information is limited to the road number. On the subsequent AD signs, again in the form of a fork sign, this pull-through information is expanded to the control city. The ID sign then shows the directions of the exit only. There is no exit numbering yet in NSW. A reassurance sign is usually placed after each exit.

Photos: Sam Laybutt / Ozroads

Queensland
Queensland does use exit numbering and its signage is less reliant on fork signs. Only the first approach sign is a fork, the directions sign and the ID sign are not. Again, a reassurance sign after the exit. As elsewhere in Australia, destinations in white on a blue background are services and names of roads are printed in black caps on a white background.

Victoria
Victoria generally does not use any fork signs in its exit signage. Every AD sign and the ID sign merely shows the focal points of the exit. No pull-through information is given at any stage. No exit numbering. Victoria was the first state on the Australian mainland to switch to alphanumeric road numbers, i.e. a prefix M/A/B/C and a number printed in gold. NSW and Queensland have only a few roads numbered in this style, while Western Australia is still to start (and, if I understand correctly, has not decided yet to start at all).

Photos: Darren Hodges / Signspotters

Western Australia
One AD sign in Western Australia showing the name of the exit and the name of the next exit. The distance to the next exit is also involved. The road number on a blue background is a WA state route. The reassurance sign only shows the first couple of exits.

Photos: Paul Rands / Expressway