Electronic information signs have long proved an invaluable aid to motorists on the nation's motorways.

They provide information about weather conditions ahead, roadworks, contraflows, diversions and other motoring problems.

Now the new technology has arrived in North Yorkshire on approaches to York's Outer Ring Road.

Motorists heading along the A59 from Harrogate towards York saw their first glimpse of a new information age when a sign lit up this week.

The message, "A59 Harrogate Road Sign Test " was lit up as engineers set about testing the new equipment, which is part of a City of York Council project.

Another sign has been erected on the A1079 approach to Grimston Bar.

Soon both signs will carry information about conditions on both the ring road and also approach roads, enabling drivers to change their route or alter their driving speeds.

The real-time system, which will be fully-operational along five routes shortly (including the A59, A1079 Hull Road and A19 south near Designer Outlet), will give information on Park and Ride sites, events and traffic conditions such as road works.

The Rolls Royce group (electronics division) is installing the system.

The system will eventually be extended across the city and brought inside the outer ring road.

Council principal highways engineer David Young said: "This is part of City of York Council's commitment to ensuring motorists get as much up to date information as possible about driving conditions into the city.

"We hope it will enable them to plan journeys and react to changing conditions more effectively and lead to improvements in traffic congestion."

Meanwhile, similar work on Yorkshire and Humberside motorways is under way to bring electronic signs there into operation by next April.

The Highways Agency is funding a £2.8 million project aimed at helping motorists avoid motorway build-ups and is currently installing signs on the M62 and M18.