3.34 Fractions, to the nearest quarter of a mile, may be used for distances less than three miles. Distances over 3 miles must be rounded to the nearest mile. On motorway route confirmatory signs all distances must be to the nearest mile.
3.35 Where a destination contains both a distance and a route number, the latter must be placed on a separate line beneath the place name. The distance should be aligned vertically with the place name (except where shown otherwise in figure 4-12). Where a place name containing more than one word is shown on two lines, any distance should be centred vertically on the two lines.
3.36 Certain advance direction signs may show the distance to the junction ahead. Design details are covered in the sections dealing with map type signs for grade separated junctions (sections 5 and 10), dedicated lane advance direction signs (section 6) and gantry mounted signs (sections 9 and 10).
INDICATION OF ALTERNATIVE ROUTES
3.37 Item 32 of Schedule 16 to the Regulations permits the use on certain signs of a legend indicating an alternative route or a route avoiding a certain feature. The “alternative route” legend has an X-height that is 80% of the main X-height used on the sign. This requires special line and block spacing to take account of the reduced tile size. Figure 3-24 details the various vertical spaces that should be used. These are 0.5 sw greater than the standard spacing.
3.38 It should be noted that the first letter of the first word of the “alternative route” legend is in lower case. As shown in figure 3-24, the legend is ranged left below the destination to which it applies. Where the “alternative route” legend is on two or more lines each line is centred horizontally and the resulting block ranged left.
JUNCTION AND PLACE NAME PANELS
3.39 A junction or place name may be positioned at the top of either a map type or stack type advance direction sign in a separate sign panel as shown in figure 3-25. A sign may carry only one name; this must have the same X—height as the main legend. The name will always be in capital letters and may be on one or two lines.
3.40 The tiles are positioned on the sign panel so that the capital letters are equidistant from the top border and bottom panel divider. This is achieved by placing the tiles in the normal position (2.5 sw to the top border and 1.5 sw to the panel divider) and then lowering them by 0.3 sw (see para 2.17).
3.41 The panel divider has a width and an internal corner radius of 1.5sw.
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