Wot’s this all about? Baffled locals say new traffic-calming road markings look like ‘giant Wotsits’

New traffic-calming road signs have taken drivers completely by surprise; some said they looked like ‘giant Wotsits’.

The whimsical orange and yellow wavy lines stretch for 170 meters along Grange Road West, from the Charing Cross roundabout to Clayton Street in Birkenhead, Merseyside.

The bright, colorful ‘shape-shape’ designs are splashed across both pavement and road and were installed by Labour-led Wirral Council as part of a trial one-way system aimed at calming traffic.

But the flashy refurbishment has left some residents outraged, branding the idea ‘disgusting’ and complaining that the road looks like a ‘children’s playground’.

One local resident made an interesting observation, saying: ‘It’s terrible; Looks like someone painted Wotsits on the road.’

Another said: ‘Only our council can approve something that no one else in Wirral has approved. Considering they employed a supervisor on a six-figure salary to allow this to happen.’

While a local asks: ‘Is this some kind of psychedelic hopscotch?’

The bright, sharply shaped designs, which splash both pavement and road, were installed by Wirral Council.

It has certainly caused quite a stir in the area, with another resident saying: ‘Walking on it gives me vertigo…ugh!’

Another concluded: ‘It was obvious that someone in the council planning department was really bored with too much time on their hands.’

The works follow two public consultations carried out between November 2022 and July 2023, both of which were approved before contractor John Graham Ltd was awarded £2.9 million from Wirral’s £25 million Future High Street Fund in March 2024.

The council says the project will help regenerate Birkenhead town centre, making it a more attractive shopping center and reducing car dominance.

Nearby Grange Road and Charing Cross are also being improved with new pavements, improved crossings and street furniture. Grange Road West will receive benches and planters as part of a Low Traffic Neighborhood (LTN) trial.

A Wirral Council spokesman said: ‘The signs are part of work to create a new one-way system on West Grange Road for westbound traffic only between Charing Cross junction and Clayton Street.

‘The colorful surfaces will be enhanced by street furniture such as benches and planters, representing the new boundary between the improved and expanded pedestrianized area and the one-way single carriageway.

‘The aims of the plan are to provide better access and connectivity to shops, cafes and other services, to make the area more attractive to attract more visitors to businesses and to improve road safety while maintaining access to traffic.

‘The use of colorful surface design represents an eye-catching yet simple way to change the dynamics of the street without the need for major civil works such as changing pavement lines and moving drainage systems.

But locals criticized the plan, saying the road looked as if there were “giant Wotsits” on it.

Officials say the trial is designed to allow traffic while making the street safer and more inviting for shoppers

‘The work here is a trial of the Low Traffic Neighborhood (LTN); This means residents and businesses will be able to provide feedback on its effectiveness during the first six months of operation.’

Officials say the trial is designed to allow traffic while making the street safer and more inviting for shoppers.

Work began in May 2024 and is expected to be completed between autumn and winter 2025.