The largest road junctions. The most confusing intersections and road junctions

Frankfurt, Germany

Arriving in Frankfurt, we advise you to sit at the portholes on the starboard side. This way you are more likely to see the Frankfurt Cross, the busiest interchange in Western Europe. Autobahns A3, A5, highway B43 converge on the "cross", and two railway tunnels are laid under the large "clover". The construction of the interchange began in 1933, but because of the war, it was completed only by 1957. Now 320,000 cars pass through 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, among other things, led the process of building the interchange itself. Highways 105 and 110 intersect here at right angles. Like almost all roads in Los Angeles, one runs north-south, the other east-west, to the Pacific coast and Los Angeles International Airport. Dozens of kilometers around are the square-nested suburbs of one-story America.

Atlanta, USA

Crashing straight into Atlanta, highways 75 and 85 merge into one fourteen-lane road - Downtown Connector with daily traffic of more than 230-270 thousand cars. During its construction in the middle of the 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 junction arose. We would rename it "The Framed Labyrinth": note how it is inscribed in the rectangle of ordinary streets typical of American cities.

Gravelly Hill, UK

In the suburb of Gravelly Hill near Birmingham, two rivers merge, two canals diverge, and a double-track railway runs past. When the engineers decided to connect the M6 highway to the A38(M) highway here, the journalists dubbed the project "Spaghetti Interchange" - because you don't think of it on purpose. Until you figure out who goes where, you can move your mind or go in eighteen directions, counting the numerous local congresses. The interchange was built in 1968-1972, installing 559 reinforced concrete pillars, the highest of which reach 24.4 meters.

Atlanta, USA

The Tom Moland Interchange is named after the chief engineer of the local Department of Transportation. It was built in 1983-1987 twenty kilometers northeast of Atlanta at the intersection of the radial highway 85 and the ring road 285 - an analogue of the Bolshaya 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 downstairs, some poor fellows also live.

Shanghai, China

The Huangpu River, which flows into the Yangtze a few kilometers from the sea, not only divides Shanghai in two. There are ten bridges across the river within the city, but for Shanghai of 24 million, this is not much. One of them, the Nanpu cable-stayed bridge, is interesting for its western approach design, the Puxi Viaduct. Three highways join here and rise thirty meters in a three-level spiral to reach the level of the bridge. The navigable span of the bridge can pass 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 during the time of Peter I, Putrajaya is specially designed to take away from the discontented electorate and place all fur coats 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 roads diligently follow the relief. 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

Place Charles de Gaulle until 1970 bore a more appropriate name for it - Place de l'Etoile, or Place de l'Etoile. This place is known to hikers as the Arc de Triomphe square, to Parisian drivers as a place where the police do not come, to tourist drivers as the place where the navigator in a mocking tone commands: "Perform the ninth exit." The 40-meter roadway has never been marked, 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 dull and don’t know where to turn, no one but Arabs, Parisians, motorcyclists and bus drivers will teach you about life.

Swindon, UK

Luckily, there are markings on the Magic Circle in Swindon, but even with that it's hard to figure out how to get there, because there are five small circles around one large circle. Six small streets converge to 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 the UK, and the same type 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

The coastline of Osaka - endless origami-shaped quay walls. The coastal areas are almost entirely artificial, there is no extra space on the lands reclaimed from the sea. Therefore, the Bayshore toll highway was laid on the “second floor” above the residential and port areas. And so that the bridges over the harbors were of sufficient height, spiral roads lead from the streets to the flyovers.

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 rapidly, as did the motorization of the population in the state of New Jersey. In 1952, a complex junction of five highways was built here, which not only pass through the 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 at 2A and ending at 2Y. If the Americans build three more congresses, they will get the full Latin alphabet.

Puxi, Shanghai

This is one of the most difficult traffic interchanges in Asia, and throughout the world. The throughput of such a junction is thousands of cars per hour. There are five levels of bridges that connect two cities together, the most loaded highways of these settlements. Thanks to this complex system, cars do not stand in traffic jams for several hours.

Judge Harry Pregerson, Los Angeles

No less difficult interchange than in Shanghai. This Los Angeles system is the most complex in the country. Thanks to the bridge complex, transport passes without any delays, so there are no traffic jams either. Only four levels of bridges with one forbidden branch, on which only special can move. transport. The system was opened in 1993.

Gravelly Hill Interchange, Birmingham, England

This denouement is better known as the "ball of spaghetti" - in fact, from above, the system looks exactly like spaghetti. This is a fairly old denouement that has existed since the 70s of the last century. In total there are 18 paths, 6 different levels. All this is supported by 559 concrete pillars, up to 24.4 meters high. Below are 2 railway lines, 3 canals, 2 rivers. One of the most complex transport systems in the UK.

Now let's look at roads that look very dangerous, albeit not as difficult as those described above.

Trollstigen, Norway

In general, the nature of these roads can already be judged from the picture. This system was created so that transport could climb high into the mountains, passing to the other side. Only experienced drivers with iron nerves can drive here - because if something goes wrong, the car flies straight to the bottom. The road is very narrow and some security improvements were made only in 2005. In one place of this whole system, you can even see a waterfall, its length is 320 meters.

Los Caracoles, Andes

This road is located between Chile and Argentina, and is a system of ledges, along which cars climb up. There are no stops or posts on the side of the road, which can rest against a car whose driver has lost control. Wrong movement, and the transport flies down.

10 transport hubs that not everyone dares to drive through

Kennedy Interchange, Louisville, USA © kyinbridges.com

Road junctions are very, very difficult. We often complain about the roads and transport hubs in our cities, but there are also such surprisingly intricate roads that not everyone is ready to ride! However, local residents have to do it. You can get acquainted with the ten most complex and confusing road junctions in the world. Large junctions, strange intersections, and even a checkpoint where motorists pay for the road got here.

"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 - 16 stop lines and no traffic lights. Mini-rings are marked exclusively with markings, which adds to the difficulties in overcoming this interchange. Drivers move clockwise along this famous ring chain. Local residents are accustomed to driving along this "carousel", but visitors do not always understand the first time how to drive along this bunch of rings.

Judge Harry Pregerson Name Interchange (Los Angeles, USA)

Judge Harry Pregerson name denouement, Los Angeles, USA © flickr.com/badfysh99

If you have traveled to 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 is like wasting half a day. The four-level structure was built in 1993 at the intersection of major freeways I-105 and I-110. Also, a metro line passes through the interchange (on the second level). This road crossing is considered the most difficult in the world. As planned, drivers should pass this interchange without stopping and having to give way to someone, regardless of where they are coming from and where they are going. This denouement was captured in one of the scenes of the film "Speed". Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock made their jump on the bomb bus right here.

Roundabout around the Arc de Triomphe (Paris, France)

Roundabout around Arc de Triomphe, Paris, France © flickr.com/rhoadeecha

In the heart of Paris is 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 pay damages if an accident happened at this junction (the corresponding clause is written in the contract). Here 12 streets intersect at once (including one-way streets), including the central street of Paris - the Champs Elysees. The situation is complicated by the absence of markings (conditionally, there are about 8-9 lanes here). The ring is not the main road, and the drivers actually decide for themselves who will go in what order.

Meskel Square (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia)

Meskel Square, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia © flickr.com/andrewheavens

Motorists all over the world are amazed at how it is possible to pass this unregulated intersection without hitting a car, a cyclist, a motorcyclist or a pedestrian. In fact, in many Asian countries, a similar driving style - honked, waved his hand and drove 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)

Road crossing runway, Gibraltar Airport © flickr.com/nickherber

But it is unlikely that an ordinary driver has ever stood in a traffic jam because of a landing plane! Airports where the runway intersects with the usual, "civilian" roadway - a rarity. One of them is 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.

Regulated intersection in the city center (Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam)

Controlled intersection in the city center, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam © flickr.com/ [email protected]

The Vietnamese city of Ho Chi Minh has a regulated intersection. Even in order to just drive straight onto the green, you need to try here, because those who turn left do not intend to wait until the flow of traffic ends (it is, in fact, endless). The easiest way here is to turn right, but this does not guarantee that some scooter will not drive right under your wheels. When you see such a traffic situation, you understand why the Vietnamese love mopeds.

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Kennedy Interchange (Louisville, USA)

In order to connect the freeways I-64, I-65 and I-71 in the American city of Louisville, in 1964 a complex interchange was built, named after John F. Kennedy (his memorial bridge is located nearby). Locals call this transport hub "spaghetti crossroads". If you look at the denouement from a bird's eye view, it becomes clear where such a name came from. Design began in 1958, and the first brick of the Spaghetti Crossing 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 hub is designed for a flow of 100,000 cars per day, and today up to 300,000 cars pass through here. Due to the intricate system of exits and arrivals, 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)

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 facility 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 lost.

Xin Zhuang Interchange (Shanghai, China)

Due to the constant increase in the number of cars, road junctions in China are under enormous pressure. In order to connect the 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 large traffic jams with traffic up to half a million cars per day. Every morning, thousands of people pass 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.

Road narrowing from 50 lanes to three (Beijing, China)

After the checkpoint (a toll is charged there), the number of traffic lanes is reduced from 50 to four! And one of them is often repaired, so motorists are forced to "leak" into three lanes. New records are constantly being set here for the number of cars in one traffic jam.

1.Gravelly Hill Interchange a bit like spaghetti. This was the nickname given to this road system back in 1965 in an article describing the construction plan for the Gravelly Hill Interchange. The term has caught on, and all major interchanges are now often referred to as "balls of spaghetti". Gravelly Hill Interchange has been in existence since 1972 and is located in Birmingham, England.

2. Puxi Viaduct. This transport interchange is one of the largest in the world. It consists of six levels and passes thousands of cars per hour. A marvel of engineering can be seen in Puxi, the historic center of Shanghai.

3. Tom Moreland Interchange. The amazingly symmetrical structure was created in 1987. Locals, like the British, call their road junction spaghetti. This road system is located in the state of Georgia, USA.

4. Judge Harry Pregerson Interchange. The interchange is located in California: more than 600,000 vehicles pass through this system daily. In 1996, the freeway was awarded the title of "Magic of Engineering". Indeed, magic.

5. Kennedy Interchange. The traffic interchange was built in 1964 and got its name in honor of the memorial to John F. Kennedy, located nearby. Kennedy Interchange is located in Louisville, Kentucky.

6. Oyamazaki Interchange. This interchange is famous for the fact that it completely disorients the driver: before you leave in the right direction, you have to “cut circles” for a very long time. But, you see, it looks impressive. The amazing construction is located in the city of Osaka, Japan.

7. But Oyamazaki Interchange is not the only engineering marvel in Osaka. Impressive and Gate Tower Building- the only road in the world that runs right through the building. They say that the overpass does not interfere with its inhabitants at all, and the owners of Oyamazaki Interchange even pay rent.

8. Nanpu Bridge- This is a roundabout that flows into a grandiose bridge over the Huangpu River. The total length of the Nanpu Bridge is 8,346 meters. This structure was built in 1991 and is located in Shanghai.

If you often drive abroad by car, then information about the most difficult road junctions in the world will be useful. Especially if this year you are going to visit England, France, Gibraltar, Asian countries by renting a car. So, let's get down to business right away and tell you where it is important to be a really attentive and prepared driver.

1. Swindon in England is known for its unusual and extremely complex denouement "Magic Carousel". If one of the tourists came here, then he definitely remembered his trip. The "Magic Carousel" is considered the most complex and confusing interchange in the world, which was built back in 1972. The interchange has 16 stop lines and no traffic lights, only markings.

2. The Paris interchange in the popular Arc de Triomphe area is one of the busiest and most difficult. Accidents here no longer surprise anyone. By the way, some insurance companies do not even reimburse the client if the accident happened on a circle near the Arc de Triomphe. This nuance is prescribed by a clause in the contract. The interchange is really not easy (since 12 streets intersect), in addition, there is no necessary marking, which further complicates the driver's task.

3. Gibraltar Airport also has an interesting and complex interchange that intersects with the runway. That is, traffic jams due to the landing or takeoff of an aircraft are a common thing here. Of course, traffic in this area is regulated by barriers and traffic lights. It cannot be said that such a proximity of the carriageway to the airport presents some kind of problem. After all, there are not so many flights, about 30 per week. This decision was due to the fact that Gibraltar, as you know, does not occupy a very large territory.

4. In Vietnam, the driver of a car and even a moped is not to be envied. Europeans are not used to such traffic. Indeed, on local roads, the main rule is the absence of rules. And even at a regulated intersection in Ho Chi Minh City, be extremely careful, as the actions of other drivers are very difficult to predict.

Of course, when going on a trip, you need to think about the issue of communication. Since it is not always convenient to buy a local starter pack, in addition, the tariffs can be high. It is much easier to buy a SIM card for a trip in advance. Therefore, we decided to break this issue, and then continue our story about difficult road junctions. We offer several interesting options for you:

For European countries, we recommend that you pay attention to the tariffs of the Orange operator, which has recently launched a new Mundo offer, in all European countries - 41 states. In addition, the Spanish tariff is now more favorable. Validity - 30 days, the cost of the Internet:
1 GB - 7 €
2 GB – 10 €
3 GB - 15 €

5. Driving in Beijing is also not so easy, because at one of the sections (after passing the checkpoint where the fare is paid on the road), the road begins to narrow (from 50 lanes there are only 4). At the same time, one of the remaining lanes is often repaired. As a result, in fact, only 3 remain.

6. Billions have been invested in the construction of the Xinzhuang interchange in Shanghai, in addition, 5 years have been working on this project. As a result, this interchange connects three major highways A4, A8 and A20 with the suburbs of Shanghai. Despite the large capacity, due to the constant increase in the number of cars, the route is loaded almost all the time, there is traffic even at night. And this complicates the repair work.

We hope that your trip around Europe by car will be only successful, interesting and memorable in the good sense of the word.
You are also advised to read other useful materials on the topic of traveling around Europe and the world in your car at the link