We still have a long way to go before we can brag about having a road junction as in the list below. But that does not mean our intersections are a breeze.
We were all taken by surprise by a complicated intersection. We missed a highway exit or we wrongly drove in an intersection. However, there are truly complicated intersections in the world, oversized road junctions, crowded or simply confusing squares. Meanwhile, in our country the highways appear at a snail’s pace, and we dream of highways located somewhere on the outskirts of the capital.
1. Gravelly Hill Interchange, Birmingham, UK
Gravelly Hill Interchange, Birmingham, United Kingdom is one of the largest and most complicated road junctions in the Kingdom. It is better known as the Spaghetti Junction and joins the M6 motorway with the A38 express way. The name was given by journalists before this node was open. In 1965, a reporter from the Birmingham Evening Mail described future plans for this intersection as a mixture of spaghetti. The road junction was opened in 1972. It has 5 levels and the highest point reaches 24.5 meters.
2. Avenida 9 de Julio, Buenos Aires, Argentina
The second place is not an intersection in the true sense, but it’s worth mentioning in this list for many reasons. July 9th Avenue in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the widest avenue in the world, and its name was given on Argentina’s Independence Day: July 9, 1816. The boulevard is about one kilometer long and has no less than 14 lanes. The traffic reaches high quota and drivers need strong nerves to preselect the required lane. The most impressive part is where the 14 lanes surround the central square in the middle of the boulevard. Given the wideness of the avenue, a pedestrian needs two or three green lights to cross the traffic light.
3. Charles de Gaulle Square, Paris, France
The Arc de Triomphe from Paris is one of the main attractions of the French capital. The monument is located in the middle of a huge market at the intersection of no less than 12 avenues. The name is Charles de Gaulle Square, but historically it was called Place de l’Étoile, i.e. Star Square, due to its shape. The Intersection is not led by lights, the only rule that applies is priority to the right. Although it seems chaotic, the traffic flows without too many interruptions; however, light accidents are frequent. Another interesting element is that there are no pedestrian crossings towards the Arc de Triomphe, which is accessible only through an underground passage.
4. Taganskaya Square, Moscow, Russia
Russia is a famous place for difficult traffic. Numerous accidents videos come every day from Russia, and Moscow is no exception. To drive in the Russian capital you must have nerves of steel and reflexes of a fighter pilot. And one of the most difficult places is Tagaskaya Square in central Moscow. Each intersection of this square has at least six lanes and each meter of asphalt is occupied by a car. Semaphores appear to be for informational purposes only, and road signs are few.
5. The Magical Roundabout, Swindon, Wilts, UK
The Magical roundabout in Swindon is already famous. I wrote about it in the article about types of roundabouts. It is perhaps the most difficult roundabout in the world because there are five smaller roundabouts grouped around a bigger one. This happening in a country where they drive on the right side of the road. If you ever get in Swindon, good luck!
6. A9, Shanghai, China
China is the country with the highest level of infrastructure development. And Shanghai is a city with an incredible burst of traffic. To cope with the large number of vehicles, the road infrastructure has been developed, and here we find some of the most spectacular road junctions in Asia. The A9 motorway and its close to Shanghai junctions are such an example.
7. I-710 and I-105 Interchange, Los Angeles, California, USA
America does not give as well as it gets in terms of highways and roads network. And one of the most spectacular junctions is in California, especially in the vicinity of the Los Angeles metropolitan. The junction from the I-710 and I-105 interstate highways is incredibly large and complicated. It’s a monster, adapted to the specific dimensions of things in America. Everything was oversized in order to handle the huge traffic in the Los Angeles area, and even so, it creates congestion.
8. London Circuit, Canberra, Australia
London Circuit is a huge roundabout in Canberra, Australia’s capital. It is located around a hill on which the Parliament building is constructed. Although it seems simple, those who have gone through it say it is frustrating when you want to get downtown and take a wrong exit. Because we haven’t been to Australia, we’ll take their word.
9. Expressway 9 and Interchange 6, Tokyo, Japan
Japan could not miss from our list of difficult junctions. Tokyo is a huge metropolis and the roads that cross it are oversized in some areas. The road junction between freeway 6 and 9 is one of the most difficult, especially if you are not a local. The road signs and billboards signs are in Japanese. In addition, the construction is made different from Europe. Because the Japanese experience many earthquakes, such constructions are supported with elastic joints.
10. Tom Moreland Interchange, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
The Americans also have their own spaghetti junction type. The Tom Moreland road junction in Atlanta was completed two years after the one with the same name from the UK. The junction serves the intersection between interstate highways I-85 and I-285. The construction has five levels, each exit ramp splits in two directions in turn, making it difficult for those who are not familiar with this mammoth intersection.