THE task of directing an extra 1m people around Merseyside this weekend has fallen to a team of sign makers based in Warrington.
More than 800,000 people are expected to hit Liverpool for the Tall Ships Race and another 200,000 will visit The Open at Royal Birkdale.
When events like this take place, yellow AA signs miraculously appear to direct traffic and organise parking. Without them permanent gridlock might descend.
The mammoth job of supplying 800 of these signs, putting them in the right spot and being on hand should one get crushed by a passing truck, is being coordinated from a depot in Warrington.
The centre is the only place in the north of England that produces the signs and Vivienne Beecroft is in charge.
She said: “We have to prepare months in advance for these type of events.
“We draft up a schedule of what we believe to be right for the event and that is based on the knowledge of our highly experienced traffic officers.
“There has been meetings every month for the golf coverage – since last September.
“And in the last month we’ve been having weekly meetings about the Tall Ships.
“There are people on site if the traffic situation changes.
“Let’s say a truck drives into a sign or we need to change entrance or exits to the venues, we can send people back to Warrington with alternative plans.”
Plastic lettering is cut onto each sign and can be ripped off with relative ease back at the depot meaning each sign is infinitely reusable. This weekend’s operation is being organised on an almost military footing.
With hundreds of thousands expected to cram onto streets in New Brighton and Seacombe to watch the Tall Ships, the AA is having to go into overdrive.
Overnight roadblocks, no park-ing zones and diversions will be set up in the residential streets that run toward the river front.
Signs ranging from the finger- posts to 2.5metre wide boards are produced and put in place.
They can then be shifted about by AA staff on the scene should traffic bottleneck in one area to redirect traffic along a new route.
Costs involved in schemes such as this do mount up.
Each sign costs £30 to £35 and that includes getting approval from local authorities and actually putting the sign in place.
“Last year we did 8,500 events and made about 10,000 signs.
“You’re talking about a significant amount of money. But it is necessary and people do realise the benefits,” the Warrington based organiser said.
“When Wirral came to us and told us what they wanted we did a costing and held our breath.
“But they just came back to us and said ‘yes’.”
“It’s a complicated process because it all has to be put up and taken down in short order.”
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