SPECS on M6 West Midlands!!!

[havoc]

Just driven back from the South West, and just after joining the m6 Southbound at J4 I spotted what is almost certain to be a SPECS gantry - 2 yellow cameras on a blue pole which sweeps over the top of the road, each camera with 2 small boxes, one on either side.

There seem to be 3 or 4 gantries over about a mile or so, covering the uphill 4-lane stretch only just after the toll road rejoins the M6. They're also on the Northbound side as you head downhill towards J4.

And they weren't there 2 weeks ago!!!

Anyone confirm / explain?!?

And more importantly does anyone know if I missed one??? The first I spotted was at the foot of the "flyover" as the M6 and the Toll merge.

[Prof Beard]

I'm going that way in the next few days. Will have a careful look out! Thanks for the info

Prof Beard

[PhillT]

I was just about to post something similar. They weren't there last weekend, I only noticed them at the last minute and had to slam the anchors on.
Best update my Snooper I guess, it didn't know about them either.

[parrot of doom]

I saw these last night, just before the Toll.

They have no reflective yellow bits, there are no speed camera signs. There are, however, covered up '40' signs. I presume that they're there for roadworks that have been completed, or are about to be started? They're certainly unenforceable without the speed camera signs, aren't they?

[bluepolarbear]

parrot of doom said:

I saw these last night, just before the Toll. They have no reflective yellow bits, there are no speed camera signs. There are, however, covered up '40' signs. I presume that they're there for roadworks that have been completed, or are about to be started? They're certainly unenforceable without the speed camera signs, aren't they?

Perfectly legal without the signs.

Looks like it could be for this

"M6 Jct 4 to Jct 3 Warwickshire MS3 & MIDAS Phase 3

The Project
A £2.5 million contract to improve the motorway communication system on the M6 between junctions 3 & 4 will commence immediately after the August Bank Holiday.

Initiall work will comprise the construction of four gantry support bases and related infrastructure within the central reservation.It is anticipated that works will be complete by mid october.

Traffic Management

Traffic management will comprise the closure of the outside line in both directions.On the southbound carriageway for four miles from the M6 Toll, lane four will be closed leaving three lanes avaiable. On the northbound carriageway in the same location lane three will be closed but three lanes will be available by the use of the hard shoulder as a running lane. In order to minimise disruption work will take place 24 hrs a day.
"

[havoc]

Ah, well-found.

OK, so they're doing roadworks, which explains them...and they almost-certainly ARE SPECS then, as everyone knows how well SPECS protects workmen!!!

So...any chance they'll have switched them on early, or are they just sitting there dumb until the 40-signs go up???

[parrot of doom]

Well I was doing about 80 when I passed one of them, but the 40mph signs were covered up with large bits of wood, you could only see them as you passed them.

There were definitely no speed camera signs at all.