Off-Network Tactical Diversion Route

In the United Kingdom, Emergency Diversion Routes are planned road traffic routes that bypass the main trunk road network.

Emergency Diversion routes provide the public with a pre-planned, checked and agreed junction to junction diversion route that circumnavigates an incident which has resulted in the closure of the main carriageway. Unfortunately, there are some locations where suitable diversion routes are not possible which then requires the Highways Agency and it’s partners to implement alternative tactics such as strategic signs and signals. These are managed by the National Traffic Control Centre (NTCC).

They are marked with road signs in the form of simple geometric shapes - open and filled circles, squares, and diamonds. Normally, these additions to roadsigns will be ignored by drivers.

When necessary, local road traffic authorities can put up signs at congestion points labeling these routes as traffic diversion routes, the emergency diversion route will guide you around the incident along an alternative road and bring you back onto the motorway or main road at a later junction.

The signs used for these routes can be found in the Transport Department publication "Know your Traffic Signs", page 107: [1]

See also

• National Traffic Control Centre