Roundabout constructed in 1972 in Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom, designed by Frank Blackmore, inventor of the mini-roundabout. The roundabout joins five roads and consists of a two-way road around the central island, with five mini-roundabouts meeting the incoming roads. The name derives from the popular children's television series, "The Magic Roundabout", and is considered "magic" because traffic flows in both clockwise and anticlockwise directions. This is achieved by surrounding the main island with one smaller roundabout per entry/exit street. This pattern directs traffic in the usual clockwise (in LHT installations) or counter-clockwise (in RHD installations) manner around each mini-roundabout. Exiting the
Roundabout of the first American roundabouts for both autos and streetcars (trams) in the Hanchett Residence Park in what is now San Jose, California. The first British circular junction was built in Letchworth Garden City in 1909. Its centre originally was intended partly as a traffic island for pedestrians. It was featured in the film "The World's End". In the early 20th century, numerous traffic circles were constructed in the United States, particularly in the northeast. Examples include a circle in Atherton, California. Widespread use of the modern roundabout began when the UK's Transport Research Laboratory engineers re-engineered and standardised circular