Maryland Road Signs Created At Local Shop, 12,000 Produced A Year

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- When automobiles first arrived, there were no traffic signs for cars to obey.

It wasn't until the 1920s that some states agreed to traffic rules, but it still took decades for standardized signs and regulations.

Now when you travel on a Maryland road, every sign passes through a shop just outside of BWI.

The shop makes 12,000 signs a year, some big and some small.

"The challenge is doing it right," a worker said. "Making sure that they go out without the words wrong, spelled wrong, all that."

Todd Jones, the shop supervisor, said that all signs get checked for spelling by multiple workers.

"You definitely don't want to send out something that's been misspelled," Jones said. "It's extremely rare for one that's misspelled to get out the door. There are many people between here and that door."

The workers at the shop said that they take tremendous pride in their work.

"I even showed my son," said. "I built that one."

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