Initially, car interchanges were created to make life easier for the driver, and then something went wrong. Some of them have become so confusing that they seem to perform another function, confusing the driver. If we compare these endings with Dante’s circles of hell, then they are certainly the last, final circle. Below we talk about the most complex road junctions in the world. We look and are glad that we are not there.
Gravelly Hill Interchange, Birmingham, UK
This junction has many nicknames, the most popular being “mixing tank” and “ball of spaghetti”. The fact is that when constructing this fork, the engineers did not take into account all the nuances and traffic on this section of roads. The “spaghetti ball” connects the A38 expressway and the M6 highway. The name of the intersection was coined back in 1970 by journalist Roy Smith. The intersection has 18 traffic directions. For this purpose, 4 km of connecting roads, 6 levels of transport interchange, which is supported by 559 iron columns, were built. It is surprising that the height of some columns reaches almost 25 meters. Gravelly Hill Interchange is considered to be the most complex transport interchange in the UK today.
Puxi Viaduct, Shanghai
The only storage type interchange in the world. It has 6 levels, and its main feature is that part of the stripes is separated from one strip and flows in the same amount into another strip.
Judge Harry Pregerson Roundabout, Los Angeles, USA
The interchange allows traffic in all directions, but also includes passenger roads, Los Angeles Metro rail tracks and the Harbor Transit Road. It is from these components that such an impressive structure is formed. It opened in 1993 and was named after federal judge Harry Pregerson. The interchange is considered one of the most difficult in the world.
Magic Roundabout, Swindon, UK
If we literally decipher the name of the interchange, then the “magic carousel”, like nothing else, fully describes what drivers feel. Attached to the main turn of the interchange, where traffic goes counterclockwise, are five more small ones, the direction of which is clockwise. Local residents say that tourists are stunned by what they see.
Place Charles de Gaulle, Paris
The square where the Arc de Triomphe is located in Paris is reached by 12 roads from small streets. And here it’s up to the driver to choose how and where to move, who to let through and who to go. The markings on the ring are simply missing. It is interesting that most insurance companies, when writing a car insurance contract, refuse to recognize accidents on the square as an insured event.
Meskel Square, Addis Ababa
At Mexel Square in the Ethiopian capital, they apparently decided that there was no need for traffic lights. Local residents drive at their own risk, intuitively, but tourists are better off avoiding such road “surprises.” Each road has 8 lanes in one direction at a regular T-shaped intersection.
Nanpu Bridge Interchange, Shanghai, China
It’s not for nothing that the locals nicknamed this junction “The Tail of the Dragon”; it is very reminiscent of it! The roundabout shape of the interchange helps to divide the huge traffic flow into 3 tracks. Until 1991, this bridge was the only one that connected the Pudong and Puxi areas. Even then, from 14 to 17 thousand cars moved across the bridge daily, and already in 2006 this figure increased to 120 thousand vehicles per day.
10 transport hubs that not everyone dares to drive through
Kennedy Interchange, Louisville, USA © kyinbridges.com
Road junctions can be very, very complex. We often complain about the roads and transport hubs in our cities, but there are also some amazingly confusing roads that not everyone is willing to drive on! However, local residents have to do this. You can get acquainted with ten of the most complex and confusing transport interchanges in the world. This includes large junctions, strange intersections, and even a checkpoint where motorists pay tolls.
- "The Magic Carousel" (Swindon, England)
Magic Carousel, Swindon, England © flickr.com/pyed_p1per
The interchange was built in 1972 and has become one of the most confusing in the world. The large ring consists of five small ones with special markings on each of them. At the junction there are 16 stop lines and no traffic lights. Mini-rings are indicated exclusively by markings, which adds to the difficulty in overcoming this junction. Drivers drive around this famous set of rings in a clockwise direction. Local residents are accustomed to driving along this “carousel”, but visitors do not always understand how to drive along this bunch of rings the first time.
- Judge Harry Pregerson Junction (Los Angeles, USA)
Judge Harry Pregerson Roundabout, Los Angeles, USA © flickr.com/badfysh99
If you have traveled through large unfamiliar cities using a navigator, then you probably know the situation when you accidentally miss the right turn at a large transport hub. At the Harry Pregerson Interchange in Los Angeles, missing your exit means losing half a day. The four-level structure was built in 1993 at the intersection of major freeways I-105 and I-110. There is also a metro line passing through the interchange (on the second level). This road crossing is considered the most difficult in the world. By design, drivers should pass through this interchange without stopping or having to give way to anyone, regardless of where they are coming from or where they are going. This outcome was captured in one of the scenes of the film "Speed". Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock did their bomb bus jump here.
- Roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France)
Roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France © flickr.com/rhoadeecha
In the heart of Paris lies one of the busiest roundabouts in the world. We are talking about the ring around the Arc de Triomphe. Accidents are common here. Some French insurance companies refuse to compensate for damage if an accident occurs at this junction (the corresponding clause is stated in the contract). 12 streets (including one-way ones) intersect here at once, including the central street of Paris - the Champs Elysees. The situation is complicated by the lack of markings (there are about 8-9 lanes here). The ring is not the main road, and drivers actually decide for themselves who will go in what order.
- Meskel Square (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Meskel Square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia © flickr.com/andrewheavens
All over the world, motorists are amazed at how they can get through this uncontrolled intersection without hitting a car, a cyclist, a motorcyclist, or a pedestrian. In fact, many Asian countries have a similar driving style - honk the horn, wave your hand and drive off. This is how they drive in Afghanistan, Vietnam and even Turkey. But the Ethiopian crossroads is striking in its scale. Eight lanes in one direction!
- Runway crossing roadway (Gibraltar Airport)
Runway crossing roadway, Gibraltar Airport © flickr.com/nickherber
But it’s unlikely that an ordinary driver has ever been stuck in a traffic jam because of a landing plane! Airports where the runway intersects with a regular, “civil” roadway are a rarity. One of them is located in Gibraltar. When planes take off or land, the movement of cars and pedestrians is stopped here with the help of traffic lights and barriers. True, this is not a big problem: the airport serves only about three dozen flights a week. The reason for this strange decision is the tiny size of Gibraltar itself, which occupies the territory of a small peninsula with an area of 6.5 square meters. km.
- Signalized intersection in the city center (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Signalized intersection in the city center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam © flickr.com/63051465@N08
There is a controlled intersection in the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh City. Even in order to simply drive straight on green, you need to try, because those turning left do not intend to wait for the flow of traffic to end (it is, in fact, endless). The easiest way here is to turn right, but this does not guarantee that some scooter rider will not drive right under your wheels. When you see such road conditions, you understand why the Vietnamese love mopeds.
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- Kennedy Interchange (Louisville, USA)
Kennedy Interchange, Louisville, USA © kyinbridges.com
In order to connect the I-64, I-65 and I-71 highways in the American city of Louisville, a complex interchange was built in 1964, named after John F. Kennedy (his memorial bridge is located nearby). Locals call this transport hub "spaghetti intersection". If you look at the interchange from a bird's eye view, it becomes clear where the name came from. Design began in 1958, and the first brick of the “spaghetti intersection” was laid in the spring of 1962. Later it became clear that the denouement was a big mistake. It is located in the very center of the city, which causes serious damage to its ecology. In addition, the junction is designed for a flow of 100 thousand cars per day, and today up to 300 thousand cars pass through here. Due to the confusing system of exits and entrances, accidents often occur here. The US authorities have already allocated $1.1 billion for the reconstruction of this complex facility. Work should begin in 2017.
- South Bay Interchange (Boston, USA)
South Bay Interchange, Boston, USA © wikipedia.org
This overpass is part of the Great Boston Tunnel, which is an 8-lane highway (the most expensive project in US construction history). The design of the interchange began in the early 1990s, but the project was completed only in 2003. Although, thanks to the competent sequence of construction, the work was carried out without serious damage to traffic. The interchange connects four major directions and one railway line. About 200 thousand cars pass here every day. If you miss a turn, you can get really lost.
- Xin Zhuang Interchange (Shanghai, China)
Xinzhuang Interchange, Shanghai, China © flickr.com/lowcola
Due to the constant increase in the number of cars, road junctions in China are under enormous pressure. In order to connect three major highways A4, A8 and A20 in the suburbs of Shanghai, billions of dollars and almost five years had to be spent. This 4-level overpass allows you to avoid major congestion with traffic of up to half a million cars per day. Every morning, thousands of people pass through this interchange on their way to work in Shanghai. At night the flow of cars decreases, but there is always traffic. This complicates the road repair process.
- Narrowing of the road from 50 lanes to three (Beijing, China)
Narrowing of the road from 50 lanes to three, Beijing, China © bilmagasinet.dk
After the checkpoint (where tolls are collected), the number of traffic lanes is reduced from 50 to four! And one of them is often repaired, so motorists are forced to “seep” into three lanes. New records are constantly being set here for the number of cars in one traffic jam.
Fortunately or unfortunately, there are no major road junctions or complex intersections in Belarus. Everything is more or less logical and simple. Many people say that it is difficult to pass the current roundabout on Bangalore Square in Minsk. Do you think so too? After reading our rating today, you will probably change your mind. We have collected the ten most complex and confusing transport hubs in the world. This includes large junctions, strange intersections and even a checkpoint where motorists pay tolls.
"The Magic Carousel" (Swindon, England)
The famous bunch of rings in the British city of Swindon will make any tourist refuse to travel along this site. Drivers move here clockwise, taking turns passing through small circular junctions (there are five of them). They say that local residents are accustomed to driving along this “carousel,” but visitors do not always understand how to drive along this set of rings the first time.
The interchange was built in 1972 and immediately became one of the most confusing in the world. The large ring consists of five small ones with special markings on each of them. At the junction there are 16 stop lines and no traffic lights. But there are small islands separating the streams. Mini-rings are indicated exclusively by markings, which adds to the difficulty in overcoming this junction. Many visitors to Swindon are put off by this place, although there are enthusiasts who decide to drive along the “Magic Roundabout” to test themselves.
Judge Harry Pregerson Junction (Los Angeles, USA)
If you have traveled through large unfamiliar cities using a navigator, then you probably know the situation when you accidentally miss the right turn at a large transport hub. At the Harry Pregerson Interchange in Los Angeles, missing your exit means losing half a day. The four-level structure was built in 1993 at the intersection of major freeways I-105 and I-110. There is also a metro line passing through the interchange (on the second level). This road crossing is considered the most difficult in the world.
By design, drivers should pass through this interchange without stopping or having to give way to anyone, regardless of where they are coming from or where they are going. By the way, there really are practically no traffic jams here, and if you know where to turn, then there shouldn’t be any problems. This outcome was captured in one of the scenes of the film “Speed”. Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock made their crazy bus jump with a bomb here.
Roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France)
In the heart of Paris lies one of the busiest roundabouts in the world. Of course, we are talking about the ring around the Arc de Triomphe. Accidents are common here. Some French insurance companies refuse to compensate for damage if an accident occurs at this junction (the corresponding clause is stated in the contract). 12 streets (including one-way ones) intersect here at once, including the central street of Paris - the Champs Elysees.
The situation is complicated by the lack of markings (there are about 8-9 lanes here). The ring is not the main road, and drivers actually decide for themselves who will go in what order. Add to this the countless number of scooters that don’t seem to care about traffic rules at all, pedestrian tourists and rental cars parked near the arch (Ferraris and Lamborghinis are often rented here). In general, anyone who has traveled around Triumfalnaya does not laugh at Bangalore.
Meskel Square (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)
Have you ever watched an anthill for more than one minute? Thousands of ants move millimeters from each other at a relatively high speed and manage not to collide, each diverging in its own direction. A similar movement was organized near Meskel Square in Addis Ababa. All over the world, motorists are amazed at how they can get through this uncontrolled intersection without hitting a car, a cyclist, a motorcyclist, or a pedestrian.
In fact, many Asian countries have a similar driving style - honk the horn, wave your hand and drive off. This is how they drive in Afghanistan, Vietnam and even Turkey. But the Ethiopian crossroads is striking in its scale. Eight lanes in one direction! Maybe we should put a traffic light there? Although, judging by the video, it is likely to aggravate the situation - city residents can easily manage without flow regulation.
Runway crossing roadway (Gibraltar Airport)
A barrier at the intersection of a roadway and a railway is a common thing for us. Drawbridges are also not such a curiosity, when motorists are forced to wait until a ship passes and the road is returned to its place. But it’s unlikely that an ordinary Belarusian driver has ever been stuck in a traffic jam because of a landing plane! Airports where the runway intersects with a regular, “civil” roadway are a rarity. One of them is located in Gibraltar.
When planes take off or land, the movement of cars and pedestrians is stopped here with the help of traffic lights and barriers. True, this is not a big problem: the airport serves only about three dozen flights a week. The reason for this strange decision is the tiny size of Gibraltar itself, which occupies the territory of a small peninsula with an area of 6.5 square meters. km.
Signalized intersection in the city center (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)
Remember the uncontrolled intersection in Addis Ababa? So, in the Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh City there is a controlled intersection, the traffic on which is no less impressive than on the Ethiopian square. Even in order to simply drive straight on green, you need to try, because those turning left do not intend to wait for the flow of traffic to end (it is, in fact, endless).
The video below shows the central intersection of Ho Chi Minh City. The easiest way is to turn right there, but this does not guarantee that some scooter driver will not drive right under your wheels. When you see such road conditions, you understand why the Vietnamese love mopeds.
Kennedy Interchange (Louisville, USA)
In order to connect the I-64, I-65 and I-71 highways in the American city of Louisville, a complex interchange was built in 1964, named after John F. Kennedy (his memorial bridge is located nearby). Although locals call this transport hub a “spaghetti intersection”. If you look at the interchange from a bird's eye view, it becomes clear where the name came from. Cook spaghetti at home, remove six pieces from the pan and casually throw them on a plate. You'll likely end up with a smaller version of the Kennedy interchange.
The author of the idea to build this interchange was Henry Ward, a member of the Louisville Chamber of Commerce. Design began in 1958, and the first brick of the “spaghetti intersection” was laid in the spring of 1962. Later it became clear that the denouement was a big mistake. It is located in the very center of the city, which causes serious damage to its ecology. In addition, the junction is designed for a flow of 100 thousand cars per day, and today up to 300 thousand cars pass through here. Due to the complex system of exits and entrances, accidents often occur here (about 260 accidents per 100 million miles of total mileage on the interchange, which is 172% more than the US average). The US authorities have already allocated $1.1 billion for the reconstruction of this complex facility. Work should begin in 2017.
South Bay Interchange (Boston, USA)
Another American interchange that often ranks among the most confusing is located in Boston. This overpass is part of the Great Boston Tunnel, which is an 8-lane highway (by the way, the most expensive project in US construction history). The design of the interchange began in the early 1990s, but the project was completed only in 2003. Although, thanks to the competent sequence of construction, the work was carried out without serious damage to traffic.
at the intersection of Mozhaiskoe highway with Tolbukhina and Vyazemskaya streets. It has become the longest in Europe, its length is 2.3 kilometers.
Now the longest in Moscow is eastern section of the Riga overpass, part of the Third Transport Ring: its length is 1038 meters. Also, as part of the reconstruction of Volgogradsky Prospekt, it is planned to build overpass at the intersection with Volzhsky Boulevard 1.6 kilometers long.
In addition, the left-turn overpass at the MKAD-Leningradsky Prospekt interchange reaches almost 1.8 kilometers. By the way, this multi-level interchange, opened after reconstruction in 2012, is the largest in Moscow.
Oldest overpasses
The very first Moscow overpass can be called Krestovsky Bridge on Prospekt Mira. It was built in the mid-19th century over the tracks of the Nikolaevskaya (Oktyabrskaya) Railway and was named after the cross and chapel installed nearby.
The overpass was rebuilt in 1937 during the construction of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition. The beginning and end of the bridge were decorated with four monumental granite fountains. Almost immediately after construction, a tram began to run across the bridge, which was closed in 1995.
In 2007-2009, the Krestovsky Bridge was reconstructed, the overpass was expanded, and one lane was added when moving from the center
Another oldest Moscow overpass is Savelovskaya; it was built almost half a century ago - in 1966. The overpass consists of three levels: the lower one consists of the railway tracks of the Savyolovsky direction of the Moscow Railway and the station square.
The second tier is the Big and Small Savelovsky automobile overpasses connecting Butyrskaya and Novoslobodskaya streets, the third (upper) tier is the section of the Third Transport Ring between Nizhnyaya Maslovka and Sushchevsky Val streets. The complex also includes two transport tunnels under Novoslobodskaya Street at its intersection with Butyrsky Val and Sushchevsky Val streets.
The most "confusing" interchange in Moscow
Several highways converge on Taganskaya Square leading from Nizhnyaya and Verkhnyaya Radishchevsky, Goncharnaya, Marxistskaya, Vorontsovskaya, Taganskaya, Narodnaya streets, which have six or more lanes. There is a transport tunnel underground in this place, which was built in the 1960s. In addition, there are two Moscow metro stations and a bus stop here.
The most difficult junctions in the world
The transport interchange located in the Puxi district of Shanghai is considered one of the most complex in the world. There are five levels of bridges that connect together the busiest highways of the two cities. Thanks to this complex system, cars are not stuck in traffic jams for several hours.
No less complex than in Shanghai is the Los Angeles interchange of "Judge Harry Pregerson" (Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange). This transportation system is the most complex in the United States. It consists of 34 weaves on four levels with an additional branch along which only special vehicles can move. About 629 thousand cars pass through this interchange every day.
Gravelly Hill Interchange in Birmingham is better known as Spaghetti Junction. There are a total of 18 paths on 6 levels. The interchange is supported by 559 concrete pillars, up to 24.4 meters high. There are 2 railway lines, 3 canals and 2 rivers below. The interchange was built in the 70s of the last century.
Bicycle overpasses
Cykelslangen. Photo: www.visitcopenhagen.com
In August 2014, the Cykelslangen bicycle overpass was opened in Copenhagen. The 235-meter-long structure rises to a height of 5.5 meters, which allows cars to safely pass under it. The overpass significantly reduces travel for cyclists through one of the quarters of the Danish capital.
There is also a special road junction for lovers of two-wheeled transport in the most “cycling” European country - Holland. A unique steel circular bridge is located in Eindhoven. The structure is supported on a central 70-meter pillar using metal cables, and for reliability it is also reinforced with concrete columns. The bridge, suspended above the transport hub, allows cyclists to bypass busy roads.
Wooden overpass
And in the United States, a miracle of engineering from the early 20th century has been preserved - a wooden railway overpass across the Goat Canyon near San Diego. The length of the structure exceeds 180 meters, the height in the center is 54 meters. And although the last passenger train passed here in 1951, the road served to transport goods until 1976. Now the wooden overpass attracts the attention of numerous tourists and extreme sports enthusiasts.
Frankfurt, Germany
When arriving in Frankfurt, we advise you to sit at the portholes on the starboard side. This way you have a better chance of seeing the Frankfurt Cross, the busiest junction in Western Europe. The A3, A5, and B43 highways converge at the “cross,” and two railway tunnels are built under the large “clover.” Construction of the interchange began in 1933, but due to the war it was completed only by 1957. Now 320 thousand cars pass here every day.
Los Angeles, USA
The interchange was built in 1993 and named after Harry Pregerson - in honor of the famous and oldest federal judge in the United States, who also led the trial on the construction of the interchange itself. Highways 105 and 110 intersect at right angles here. Like almost all roads in Los Angeles, one runs from north to south, the other from east to west, towards the Pacific coast and Los Angeles International Airport. For tens of kilometers around there are the square-clustered suburbs of one-story America.
Atlanta, USA
Cutting directly into Atlanta, Highways 75 and 85 merge into one fourteen-lane road - the Downtown Connector, with daily traffic of more than 230-270 thousand cars. During its construction in the mid-20th century, a piece of the historical center of Atlanta was razed to the ground. And in the place where the connecting highway crosses Highway 20, the Labyrinth interchange appeared. We would rename it “Framed Labyrinth”: notice how it fits into the rectangle of ordinary streets typical of American cities.
Gravelly Hill, UK
In the suburb of Gravelly Hill near Birmingham, two rivers meet, two canals diverge, and a double-track railway runs past. When engineers decided to connect the M6 motorway with the A38(M) highway here, journalists dubbed the project the “Spaghetti Interchange” - because you don’t come up with something like that on purpose. While you figure out who is going where, you can go crazy or go in eighteen directions, counting the numerous local exits. The interchange was built in 1968-1972, installing 559 reinforced concrete supports, the highest of which reach 24.4 meters.
Atlanta, USA
The Tom Moland Interchange is named after the chief engineer of the local transportation department. It was built in 1983-1987, twenty kilometers northeast of Atlanta at the intersection of radial highway 85 and ring road 285 - an analogue of the “Big Concrete Road” near Moscow. The interchange includes 14 bridges and overpasses, the highest of which rises 27 meters above the ground. Three hundred thousand cars pass through the interchange every day. And some poor people also live below.
Shanghai, China
The Huangpu River, which flows into the Yangtze several kilometers from the sea, not only divides Shanghai in two. Within the city limits there are ten bridges across the river, but for Shanghai with a population of 24 million this is not much. One of them, the Nanpu cable-stayed bridge, is interesting for the design of the western approach - the Puxi Viaduct. Three highways connect here and rise thirty meters in a three-level spiral to reach the level of the bridge. The navigable span of the bridge can accommodate a sea vessel up to 48 meters high.
Putrajaya, Malaysia
The city, born to be the capital, has been built since 1995, two dozen kilometers from Kuala Lumpur. Like St. Petersburg from the time of Peter I, Putrajaya was specially designed to move away from the dissatisfied electorate and place all the fur storage facilities and government residences in an elite village. The main difference between Putrajaya and St. Petersburg is that there are almost no straight streets here; all the roads carefully follow the terrain. And several streets around a 50-meter hill form an oval (0.85-1.29 km in diameter), which is considered the largest roundabout in the world.
Paris, France
Until 1970, Place Charles de Gaulle had a more appropriate name - Place des Stars, or Place de l'Etoile. This place is known to pedestrian tourists as the square with the Arc de Triomphe, to Parisian drivers as a place where the police do not come, to tourist drivers as a place where the navigator in a mocking tone commands: “Take the ninth exit.” There have never been any markings on the 40-meter roadway, and at rush hour this circle looks like an anthill, where everyone drives along arbitrary trajectories. True, Paris is not Moscow, and if you are stupid and don’t know which way to turn, no one except Arabs, Parisians, motorcyclists and bus drivers will teach you about life.
Swindon, UK
Luckily there are markings at the Magic Circle in Swindon, but even with them it's hard to figure out how to get around because there are five smaller circles around one big circle. Six small streets converge at the junction, and the best option for a beginner is to turn left at the entrance. However, the British are already used to it: in the 1970s, the scheme was popular in Great Britain, and similar types of interchanges were built in several cities. There are also “light versions”, where there are not five small circles, but, for example, two.
Osaka, Japan
Osaka coastline - endless quay walls in the shape of origami figures. The coastal areas are almost entirely unfilled; there is no extra space on the lands reclaimed from the sea. Therefore, the Bayshore toll highway is laid on the “second floor” above residential and port areas. And to ensure that the bridges across the harbors are of sufficient height, spiral roads lead from the streets to the overpasses.
Newark, USA
Newark International Airport is the second of three airports serving New York City and the surrounding area. It opened back in 1928, but traffic grew quickly, as did motorization in New Jersey. In 1952, a complex interchange of five highways was built here, which not only carry transit traffic, but also serve as entrances to the giant airport.
Kansas City, USA
A small six-kilometer ring connects nine highways and is called the “Alphabet Loop.” Inside is downtown Kansas City, and the 23 exits on both sides of the loop are numbered sequentially, starting with 2A and ending with 2Y. If the Americans build three more congresses, they will have a complete Latin alphabet.
