Yeah I already had those...

sorry i did check but must have missed them, to much wine last night!

Deleted please see page 3 off this thread

Deleted please see page 3 off this thread

r-g-b, please use the edit button. It takes up much less space than quadruple posting.

r-g-b, please use the edit button. It takes up much less space than quadruple posting.

can i just point out that on the previous page ChrisZwolle has 17 post in row.

but i'll use the edit buttun in future.

can i just point out that on the previous page ChrisZwolle has 17 post in row.


Yes, but they have more content than just ".............", or a single link.


but i'll use the edit buttun in future.

Thanks. :)

Baton Rouge Louisanna

highway 64 running east west and I110 running north south

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3109/3203687104_99430473f8_o.jpg

for view of the wider area please click on the link below

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&q=Miami,+Florida,+United+States&sll=33.558419,-117.178545&sspn=0.05114,0.11158&ie=UTF8&cd=1&geocode=FaxIiQEdymQ4-w&split=0&t=h&ll=30.509773,-91.15541&spn=0.013662,0.027895&z=16&iwloc=addr

San Diego California

I8 running east west and I850 Running north south

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3389/3203690182_40c53a11c5_o.jpg

for view of the wider area please click on the link below

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=illinois+USA&sll=51.514458,-0.175653&sspn=0.019042,0.05579&ie=UTF8&t=h&ll=32.772445,-117.13048&spn=0.013333,0.027895&z=16&iwloc=addr

Yes, but they have more content than just ".............", or a single link.

is that better?

Did you get the one near New Orleans (Louisiana) where I-310 intersects with US 61 (Airline Hwy)?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=New+Orleans,+LA&sll=33.206307,-87.527245&sspn=0.560728,1.235962&g=Tuscaloosa,+AL&ie=UTF8&ll=29.975494,-90.318818&spn=0.008625,0.027466&t=h&z=16

Chris... come on... you have too much time on ur hands it seems :)
Trying to make a list of full 4L staxx in US is like trying to make a list of roundabouts in our lame (infrastructurally speaking) EU. :P

Chris often makes much more unusual lists, like photos of signs of every village in the Netherlands. :D

Spain

M-40 and A-1 near Madrid:
http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/5589/centroewn7qi2.jpg


...

Coming to this thread a little late (I was on vacation):

* Preparing a complete list of four-level stacks in the US is an eminently do-able task--I think the total number is between 50 and 60.

* In Louisiana, US 61 and I-310 doesn't qualify because it has opposite-facing DCs crossing in plan (i.e., is a stack/turban hybrid). A few examples cited for other states have this problem as well.

* My quick list of DFW stacks (13 in all):

I-30/I-820 (W)
I-30/I-820 (E)
I-20/SH 360
I-35E/PGBT
I-20/US 67
I-20/I-45
I-20/US 175
I-635/US 80
I-635/I-30
I-635/US 75 (the famous Dallas High Five)
US 75/PGBT
PGBT/DNT
I-20/I-35E

(PGBT = President George Bush Turnpike; DNT = Dallas North Tollway. These facilities are maintained and operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority rather than TxDOT, and so do not have state highway numbers as such.)

* Not all of Texas' stacks are in DFW and Houston. I count four in San Antonio (I-10/I-410 Crossroads, I-10/US 90/US 281, I-10/I-35/US 90, and I-37/I-410). I have a feeling Corpus Christi has a stack somewhere in its metropolitan area, but I can't see it. Counting DFW with 13, Houston with 10, and San Antonio with 4, Texas alone has at least 27 stacks. This is probably about half the total for the whole US.

* In addition to I-17/Loop 101 and US 60/Loop 202 (SuperRedTan Interchange), Arizona has I-10/I-17 (NW).

* Michigan actually has four stacks: I-69/I-475 (Flint), I-75/I-696, I-96/M-39, and I-94/I-96 (all Detroit). I-94/I-96 is an edge case since the ramps are pretzel-shaped, but opposite-facing DCs do not cross in plan and there are four levels, so it meets the definition of a stack.

* Florida has at least one stack--I-95/I-195 in Miami.

* Alabama has two stacks, both in Birmingham: I-20/I-459 and I-65/I-459.

Those are the ones I know about. I have been thumbtacking them in Google Earth as I go along, but there are stacks I haven't documented yet--for instance, I still haven't thumbtacked New York State's three stacks.

^^ The NY stacks are in the first post :)

Chris... come on... you have too much time on ur hands it seems :)


Nah, I know the U.S. Freeway system pretty well, so I know where to look. This list didn't take that much time. Besides that, I work 80% so I have the luxury of some additional spare time :)

Yes we already counted this one, by the way the pic looks a little bit dated or am I mistaken?

Coming to this thread a little late (I was on vacation):

* Preparing a complete list of four-level stacks in the US is an eminently do-able task--I think the total number is between 50 and 60.

* In Louisiana, US 61 and I-310 doesn't qualify because it has opposite-facing DCs crossing in plan (i.e., is a stack/turban hybrid). A few examples cited for other states have this problem as well.

* My quick list of DFW stacks (13 in all):

I-30/I-820 (W)
I-30/I-820 (E)
I-20/SH 360
I-35E/PGBT
I-20/US 67
I-20/I-45
I-20/US 175
I-635/US 80
I-635/I-30
I-635/US 75 (the famous Dallas High Five)
US 75/PGBT
PGBT/DNT
I-20/I-35E

(PGBT = President George Bush Turnpike; DNT = Dallas North Tollway. These facilities are maintained and operated by the North Texas Tollway Authority rather than TxDOT, and so do not have state highway numbers as such.)

* Not all of Texas' stacks are in DFW and Houston. I count four in San Antonio (I-10/I-410 Crossroads, I-10/US 90/US 281, I-10/I-35/US 90, and I-37/I-410). I have a feeling Corpus Christi has a stack somewhere in its metropolitan area, but I can't see it. Counting DFW with 13, Houston with 10, and San Antonio with 4, Texas alone has at least 27 stacks. This is probably about half the total for the whole US.

* In addition to I-17/Loop 101 and US 60/Loop 202 (SuperRedTan Interchange), Arizona has I-10/I-17 (NW).

* Michigan actually has four stacks: I-69/I-475 (Flint), I-75/I-696, I-96/M-39, and I-94/I-96 (all Detroit). I-94/I-96 is an edge case since the ramps are pretzel-shaped, but opposite-facing DCs do not cross in plan and there are four levels, so it meets the definition of a stack.

* Florida has at least one stack--I-95/I-195 in Miami.

* Alabama has two stacks, both in Birmingham: I-20/I-459 and I-65/I-459.

Those are the ones I know about. I have been thumbtacking them in Google Earth as I go along, but there are stacks I haven't documented yet--for instance, I still haven't thumbtacked New York State's three stacks.

Actually there are 5 stacks in San Antonio. There's a new one in I-410 and US-281.
It was already open.
http://www.texashighwayman.com/h_imgs/ai410281.jpg

^^ Many thanks--I had forgotten about I-410/US 281, and the Google Earth mapping I looked at last night didn't seem to have it. This stack provides a direct interchange between the two freeways where previously the connection could be made only by using the frontage roads.

Texas:
I-10 and I-610 in Houston.
http://i42.tinypic.com/qq7bja.jpg



Looks like this one is about to become a 5-way junction.

Looks like this one is about to become a 5-way junction.

Yep, the new US 90 Crosby Freeway is going to shoot off to the northeast from here.

Been in the plans since the mid-60s. The interchange was designed specifically to have this addition take place.

Chris... come on... you have too much time on ur hands it seems :)
Trying to make a list of full 4L staxx in US is like trying to make a list of roundabouts in our lame (infrastructurally speaking) EU. :P
There's nothing lame about Europe. The EU has much more to offer in terms of transportation infrastructure than the USA.

edit

Ummm... huh?
IMO there's 1 (one) thing to support your statement: the TGV.
OK, even though I'm not a francophile (actually I don't quite like them), I've always admired their passion for "grand projects": the TGV, the Concorde (think for one second: isn't it ironic that the fastest plane in commercial service today is slower than 30 years ago? - since Concorde is not in com service anymore), their network of nuclear powerplants etc.

But to say that the EU has much more to offer in transportation infra than US is... strange.
What, what is it?
Mass transit? C'mon, is at the expense at auto users. It's not normal to see an 8-lane freway (2x4) as an oddity - but it is in the EU.
Tunnels on freeways with 20k+ AADT that are still 2x1??
Congested airports?
It's not just a few LGVs but the whole range of rail-bound transportation systems. From small town trams to full developed metro systems and a railway network that connects to almost every town.

International airports in DFW, Houston and even Los Angeles are not connected to any rail network. I can't find an airport of similar size in Europe that has such limited transport links.

Even roads in Europe are better equipped. Reliable surface marking and proper directional signs on every road get them the upper hand.

wdw35: Do you measure the level of development of infrastructure only by capacity, size and amount of concrete? If so, then you are probably right about US infrastructure. Hell, you could even succesfully claim it is over-developed.

However, when you consider coherence, efficiency and diversification well, that's another kettle of fish. Take ground transportation for instance. USA has definitely massive road and highways network, no doubt. Yet when it comes to quality, European (especially in Western Europe) roads usually have better design and higher standard.

Then it comes to accessibility. USA is definitely car-orientated creating a huge unbalance between cars and other means of transport. I mean, in most places, if you don't have a car, you're practically immobile. Public transport usually operates solely within big urban areas and even there it doesn't provide you with a lot of options. In Europe all means of transport are fairly balanced which gives you a lot of choices whether you prefer train, bus or plane. You can get almost everywhere without necessity to use a car. It's fair to say transport network here is much denser and more accessible.

Coherence. As flierfy pointed out, some US int'l airports are not connected to rail network. It goes beyond this. In Europe you can easily change between different means of transport in designated hubs, which in USA is possible again in big cities only.

European infrastructure might be less impressive and spectacular than the US one, but it's definitely not lame.

One have to consider most rural parts of the U.S. are sparsely populated and distances are much bigger than in most European rural areas. European countries are also different from eachother. For instance the mass construction of motorways in Spain is quite different compared to the no-build policy Belgium, the Netherlands and the UK have.

Title: Stack interchanges in the United States

^^ Amen. I don't understand why this and parallel threads have been sloping toward US-versus-EU jingoism--I come here to get away from that sort of thing.

^^ Because some people can't resist to dispraise Europe.

^^ Because some people can't resist to dispraise Europe.

You've been the instigator most of the time. The guy who made that comment is European, and was commenting on what he likes about the US compared to Europe, whose road infrastructure he feels is deficient, but within the context of the thread as a whole. You go send it off in tangent based on rail, which is not pertinent to the thread at hand. It has nothing to do with disparagement of either the US or European countries, it has everything to do with not commenting on the thread at hand.

Besides, if I want to hear a European disparage the US transportation system (which seems to be the only way you can defend your continent), I'll listen to Alex Von Konigsberg, because as much as his opinions run contrary to mine, he actually lives here in the US and knows what he's talking about. I'd be shocked if you had actually spent any appreciable time in the US, or thought about why things are done here the way they are.

@J N Winkler... you've been here long enough that you know eventually some idiot nationalist/continentalist is going to get on and bash some other country. Just remember that if you're older than 20, you're probably older than 60% of everyone who has ever posted on this site. Considering your past posts and credentials, it's obvious that you're smarter than 99% of them.

You've been the instigator most of the time. The guy who made that comment is European, and was commenting on what he likes about the US compared to Europe, whose road infrastructure he feels is deficient, but within the context of the thread as a whole. You go send it off in tangent based on rail, which is not pertinent to the thread at hand. It has nothing to do with disparagement of either the US or European countries, it has everything to do with not commenting on the thread at hand.
If you had read carefully you would have noticed that he/she made a general depreciative comment on European infrastructure that caught not only my eyes. It gives me as anyone else the right to rectify this even if it goes beyond the subject of this thread and requires to point to some weaknesses of American transport infrastructure. And concerning the latter I'm convinced you can stand a fair comparison.

Proposed replacement for the I-84/rt-8 interchange in Waterbury,CT.
http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/8562/848mf9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Current interchange.
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/9135/mixmaster2qm1.jpg
Both the current and proposed have 4 levels, but the proposed one more closely resembles the 'ideal' stack interchange-no left exits and entrances for one thing.

I didn't have a chance to reply to some of some statements above, so here goes, especially for you fierfly.

Mass Transit is INDUCED demand.

Please read this again:

MASS TRANSIT IS INDUCED DEMAND!

Specifically is induced by chronic underinvestment in private ground transportation infrastructure (i.e. roads) and the taxation to death of vehicles and gasoline.
If the EU governments would do the opposite, and we would have nice, wide, cheap to use freeways, no one in their right mind would choose mass transit.

For ground transportation, mass transit is not needed. Air transport is a different matter - and mass transit is still needed and used by most of us (except the ones that own private jets), but this is essentially for technological not for policy reasons.

Of course, for private ground transportation to work, there should be an effort to diversify travel times. People should not all go at the same place at the same time. It's highly inefficient for all people to work (roughly) from 9 to 5 (in most of the EU, most of them will do 4-6 hours of work - if in the private sector - or 2-5 hours of actual work - if in the public sector - anyways).
So decision makers but also the simple users should try to plan their trips (or the trips they influence, for the decision makers) such that infra capacity is used wisely.

So no, please don't tell me about the "nice" EU's air-rail connections because I don't f*cking want them. I once flew on an internal US flight. You can't imagine how nice it was to drive my car to the airport's long term parking, leave it there, get to the gate 15 mins before the take off, fly, come back, pick up the car and return home.


I will tell you one last thing: In the late eighties the centrally planned govt in Romania decided that it would be more efficient (maybe a EU govt will tell you today it would be more environmentally friendly) for people in big cities to eat together in huge canteens, instead of eating at home.

They even started and managed to build in Bucharest 6 or so huge structures (called colloquially "famine circuses").
Probably the next step would have been reducing food supply in stores and taxing it to death, and making people feel guilty for eating at home, or making people blabber about how much more env. friendly is to eat in the canteen, or how much better our cities are suited for this time of eating pattern.
Also, you would prolly read articles in the newspapers about a new, highly functional, and architecturally spectacular canteen structure that was opened just yesterday, or about how the personnel serving food in another canteen recently broke the record for the serving speed of food to users. :)

Fortunately the famine circuses never became operational, because the communist regime fell in December '89. At least in Romania.

Edit: PS: In the mid nineties, one of the famine circuses (after staying unfinished and abandoned for years) was acquired by a private investor and became the first mall in Bucharest (http://www.bucurestimall.com.ro/). Ironic, isn't it.

^^ I like you train of thought:)

this one in Germany near Wurzburg looks pretty cool, although its unfinished. With A41 on the fourth level it can be really massive
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=49.746211,9.820704&spn=0.020354,0.05579&z=15
This is the A-3/A-81 (the A-3 runs east-west, the A-81 to the south). Where is/was A-81 planned to go to the north? Are these plans still active?

Mike

This is the A-3/A-81 (the A-3 runs east-west, the A-81 to the south). Where is/was A-81 planned to go to the north? Are these plans still active?

Mike

It looks like it might have been intended to create a ring road of Würzburg, but that's just a guess.

I don't know if it still is, but I know that the I-70/I-77 interchange in Cambridge, Ohio was the largest intersection in the world. I don't get where people are saying "this is the busiest" because that doesn't answer the question. I know this doesn't look that big, but really, it's pretty big.

It was declared by the Ohio Department of Transportation as the largest intersection in the world in the 60's.

By the way, I just found this site and I think I'm in love.

If we're talking about biggest interchange by area, then there would be several contenders. Statelypenguin, how wide/long is the I-70/77 interchange?

Three that I would suggest from the UK are:

The M27/M3 interchange outside Southampton

The M6/M6Toll/M42/A446 interchange which takes up a lot of Eastern Birmingham

The M60/M61/A666/A580 interchange in Western Manchester

You might also want to check out this thread (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=722250).

I would put Atlanta's Spaghetti Junction on there. Also, there are plans for the interchange of GA 400 and I-285 north of Atlanta to be rebuilt as a 6 level stack with the highest level around 135 feet. Seems crazy to me!!!

Some Milano big ones

http://i33.tinypic.com/2n89aoh.jpg

[IM G]http://i38.tinypic.com/a0vvhh.jpg[/IMG]

[IM G]http://i37.tinypic.com/330w7d4.jpg[/IMG]

[IM G]http://i34.tinypic.com/1znscci.jpg[/IMG]

In fairness though, what a stupid place for a toll booth :nuts:

^^ Why?

Do they toll darker or lighter road? :)

It is actually 3 sets of tolls... wonder why?

In fairness though, what a stupid place for a toll booth :nuts:
That's why you're entering the most urban stretch of A4 in Milan and it is a toll free to allow people to use it as a by-pass with no fares

Actually I dislike this solution: I think the better way would be having a nearby free bypass and no intrerchanges for tolled highway in urban stretch. Or better interchanges with the bypass at the begginning and at the end of 'urban' stretch (the one now between the two barriers)
There are solutions like that in other cities in Italy, as in Bologna, for istance
Unforunately in Milan there are no space enough nearby A4, as buildings stand few meters from it
The solution could be to dig a tunnel of more of 20 km just under it (too expensive) or build an elevated highway over the old one, as the 'secundo piso' of Mexico City bypass: I do not think it is possible to make something like that in Europe, for its heavy enviromental impact... probably in '60s or even in '70s, but not today
Do they toll darker or lighter road? :)

It is actually 3 sets of tolls... wonder why?

Actually there is even a fourth one
as you can see in this map

http://i40.tinypic.com/2m5l7v8.jpg

It is 'fault' of that North-South motorway you can see... it is another by-pass. And it has a fare only if you cross that point (I hate this kind of fares) in the interchange with A4 highway (that is tolled for the whole lenght as 'closed system', the most common in Italy, except the branch in inner Milan I told you).
Then: if you just run on the bypass you pay the bypass at the barrier you can see below on the left in the pic; if you just run on A4 you pay at the 'main' barrier in the center just for the highway; if you interchange between A4 and the bypass and viceversa you pay for highway and bypass in one of the smaller barriers

It's as complicated as that :nuts:

^^ Yeah, that fourth toll station is stupid, but I think others are ok.

This is a big'n:

I-96 at the Southfield Freeway in Detroit:
http://www.canhighways.com/MI/I/96/I96_MI_dv_183-1_east.jpg

http://www.canhighways.com/MI/I/96/I96_MI_dv_183-3_east.jpg

http://www.canhighways.com/MI/M/39/M39_cl_10-5_north.jpg

The high-res images on my site show the interchange in much better detail.

Cheers.

Dont'you have an airview?

Doukissis Plakentias -Athens

http://briefcases.pathfinder.gr/download/234696

http://briefcases.pathfinder.gr/download/342109

http://briefcases.pathfinder.gr/download/342115

http://i41.tinypic.com/1jass5.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/166f1iq.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/15fsmzd.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/1ysm6u.jpg

Metamorfosis - Athens

http://i41.tinypic.com/2mf0hlx.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/izs65h.jpg

http://i40.tinypic.com/2unvh2s.jpg

http://i44.tinypic.com/s6hvs4.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/15piadu.jpg

http://i43.tinypic.com/msyvba.jpg

Microsoft virtual earth
Dimitris Z. G. (www.panoramio.com (http://www.panoramio.com))

Houston, Texas looks like it's the Mecca of Interchanges, as seen in this video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KZg7jEXfhTE). I'd love to go on a cruise round there (need to learn to drive first :tongue2:)

This de best interchange of the world

Interchange A1/A10 (portugal)ca.30km of Lisbon

http://www.cenor.pt/projectos/projectos_galeriaimagens_popup.aspx?empID=6&projID=264&image=001.jpg&index=1

Found these pictures and want to share them with you road geeks :)

Miami interchanges

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3123/2865672075_3b35bf72eb_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/3143259986_77c9723c4f_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/2765990713_db1b44a6a2_b.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3336/3275977504_687dc749ff_b.jpg

Pictures by QuantumX

Not bad, even though Miami has bad traffic at least it has a decent highway system unlike here.

^ Yea I read about that. The traffic inside the city seems horrible. You can barely walk there except for south beach. On the second pic theyre driving on what.. ? There is no asphalt there..

That are concrete slabs. I hate those.

Why slabs? Regular concrete, but cut so it don't crack.

Concrete is great, I like it better than asphalt, especially the newer concrete that is more quiet.

^^ It sounds very Belgian to me somehow.

What about you Chris? :D

The I-95 - I-295 - I-495 - Del 141 - Airport Road interchange near Wilmington DE seems to go on forever.

Nothing wrong with concrete slabs, unless they haven't been maintained in the last 73 years (hint hint...) :D

^^ Yea seriously. When you drive through Belgium you can't even hear your music or radio anymore. :lol:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3121/3143259986_77c9723c4f_b.jpg

Love this pic.

Love this pic.

Me too, I miss this kind of freeways in Europe, where you're driving through a skyline. It's even better in Tokyo where you drive 50 feet up in the air through a street canyon.

That are concrete slabs. I hate those.

I love concrete slabs. Whistle and the "clack"....loved that sound ever since I was a kid. :)

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3186/2765990713_db1b44a6a2_b.jpg
Pictures by QuantumX

1. Isn't that railway line a liiitle bit to close to the apartment building on the left?

2. Are the railways line piers actually founded *on top* of a building on the right?

3. I really don't remember seeing a railway on top of a road on top of a railway on top of a road before!!

are these slabs produced on-site or in some remote factory?

maybe these slabs could really speed up the construction of regular highways: pre-produce the slabs, lay them, and then lay the asphalt on them

The railway is probably too close to that apartment building yes :D I would never buy a room or house so close to a railway :lol:

are these slabs produced on-site or in some remote factory?

of course on site... :lol:

its much more simple to bring the concrete in mixers and lay it with a finisher than move prefab 10-20t slabs...

It's important to note that the construction of I-95 through DT Miami is one of the best examples of urban destruction by freeways in the U.S. The routing of I-95 completely decimated the most vibrant black neighborhood in the city.

Me too, I miss this kind of freeways in Europe, where you're driving through a skyline.
There are actually two places in Europe that I know where you have that. One is on the A2-A102 in London, with the view of Canary Wharf in the distance. The other one, even more impressive, is on the D914 in Paris between the A86 and La Défense (from the A86, do not take the tunnel that goes under La Défense, but take the D914 overground instead). It feels almost like driving towards the downtown of a large American city.

It's important to note that the construction of I-95 through DT Miami is one of the best examples of urban destruction by freeways in the U.S. The routing of I-95 completely decimated the most vibrant black neighborhood in the city.
Thats because with just about every city that happened to, it was because the whites fled to the suburbs and the land was cheapest in these vibrant working and lower class neighborhoods.

Long time reader of SSC.. finally time to post up.

it has been mentioned before.. but not in any Kind of detail.

The I-95, I-395, I-495 Mixing bowl project was HUGE.. and is still ongoing. The capital Beltway around Washington DC is quite possibly the most congested highway i've ever driven on. Mixing 3 states and people to commute to jobs in between the three leads to massive backups and huge delays.. that was until the VA DOT implemented and constructed the following:

You can see in this picture (Springfield Interchange)
http://www.capital-beltway.com/SIIP_Aerial_Nov02_2.jpg

Those 3 ramps you see at the bottom of the image used to be only ONE ramp..The I-395/495/95 Interchange project is visible at the top of the image.

http://www.capital-beltway.com/SIIP-Aerial-May03-11.jpg
in this picture, the cars facing you are ones coming south from DC.. and respectively the ones facing away from you are headed towards DC. You see the mess that construction made in this area.

I would post all the pictures i've found on the subject but that would take me HOURS to do, so All i can do for now is post up the AFTER photos of the area.

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/6843/picture9ket.png

Springfield Interchange-Present

http://img33.imageshack.us/img33/8669/picture10mrw.png

95/395/495 Interchange-Present.

If you follow I-495 East.. about 7 miles away is the Woodrow Wilson Bridge

Read more here:

http://www.wilsonbridge.com/ps-beforeAfter.htm

Also.. they are widening I-495 and adding "HOT" lanes from the big interchange to go past the Dulles Airport (Rt. 267) interchange (HOT meaning High Occupancy Toll lanes). The toll lanes (this part I don't agree with) has an adjustable rate depending on the flow of traffic.. if its a low traffic day, the tolls are lower, if its a High flow of traffic, the toll goes up... then again if you have 3 people in your car you dont pay a cent.

additonally.. for more photos of the 95/395/495 interchange please visit this site.

http://www.capital-beltway.com/Springfield-Int-Proj-Photos.html

Looks ugly.

It looks awesome actually. Thanks for the information and pictures, and also: Welcome to the forums :) Springfield is in Illnois right?

Lol, there is more than one Springfield. (Springfield, MA is also a larger place actually). This Springfield is a suburb of Washington D.C in Virginia.

^^ There is also The Simpsons' Springfield. :lol:

In the USA, you have a high likelyhood of having a Springfield and/or Greenville in your state.

It looks awesome actually. Thanks for the information and pictures, and also: Welcome to the forums :) Springfield is in Illnois right?

Im sorry I forgot to mention that.. Yes, it's actually Springfield, VA (technically) about 15 miles south of Washington DC.

Lol, there is more than one Springfield. (Springfield, MA is also a larger place actually). This Springfield is a suburb of Washington D.C in Virginia.

Once two mormons from the US rang the bell of my home; one was from Colorado, and the other one from Boston. For some reason I couldn't exactly remember where it was at the moment, so I asked him, if it was the capital of Massachusetts. He replied 'no, I think that's Springfield'. If he doesn't know the capital of his own state (which is his own city), I wonder how the hell he got here. :lol:

PS: I forgot to turn off the tap in the kitchen, so I had a flood when they left. :lol:

Springfield is the capital of Illinois :)

Springfield is the capital of Illinois :)

I thought it was the Simpson's city.

:lol:

PS: I forgot to turn off the tap in the kitchen, so I had a flood when they left. :lol:

Beer tap? :D

Water tap. You know I like (cold) water. :lol:

That's why. You had some flood, but you couldn't anything to dry it with, so you had to drink it all :D

Lol, even this thread changes into a skybar :lol:

It has been another 'spam night' :D

^ Whatever just spam the roadside rest area will ya? :cheers:

Nó do Carregado, 50km north of Lisbon, Portugal :)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ed/No_Carregado_Edifer.jpg

http://bp3.blogger.com/_L5DkAtAH-TI/R9bYEovp1BI/AAAAAAAAC_U/Thhz6A_Kl1Y/s640/NoCarregado2_0550.jpg

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6658/carregado.jpg

http://i379.photobucket.com/albums/oo237/ambiente2008/Diapositivo1-1.jpg

That's a brand new one. I love it!

yes, that last one is a beaut. perfect horizontal curves. the asphault blacktop looks so much better then the american insterstate concrete finish in my opinion.

this image was my desktop backgroun for a while, interstate 10 the santa monica freeway section.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/85/Intersection_i10_i155_CA_USA.JPG

That's a nice intersection 2. Too bad that the picture's quality is a bit off. Welcome to the forums btw!

There was some dirt on the windscreen. I often have that problem as well :(

We've got several like that here in Ohio:

http://media.collegepublisher.com/media/paper1253/stills/dj3g5v8d.jpg

Actually, Blimkie, that is the San Bernardino section of I-10. To be exact, your photo is taken on the westbound 10 as it passes under I-15 in Ontario.

Personally the largest one i've been through are all the Shanghai interchanges, they are chaotic but not as bad as i thought. Strangely did not see any traffic incidents on the freeways there in all of the 12 weeks i stayed there, i must say their driving skills are aggresive but first rate, everybody know where they are going.
Have heard from friends that American drivers are crap, on the freeway in Boston there were apparently overturned SUV's at almost every offramp.

KAD\ZSD intercharge in St. Petersburg:
http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/5364/kad.jpg

The most interesting thing is that it was built 2 years ago and there had been NO ROADS AT ALL before (all parts of the intercharge were built in 2005-2007). That's why there isn't any satellite images of it.

What's the ZSD?

KAD\ZSD intercharge in St. Petersburg:

The most interesting thing is that it was built 2 years ago and there had been NO ROADS AT ALL before (all parts of the intercharge were built in 2005-2007). That's why there isn't any satellite images of it.

no, there are. U/C. (http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=hu&geocode=&q=petersburg,+ru&sll=46.813219,13.42804&sspn=1.231187,2.287903&ie=UTF8&ll=59.834573,30.279093&spn=0.014772,0.05476&t=h&z=15)

It has recently been finished (this part). ZSD - Западный Скоростной Диаметр - Western Speedway Diameter is a new magistral in SPB. (it's a new issue to build chordial highways in big Russian cities: Nothern and Southern rocades in Moscow, ZSD in SPB) Opened on October 30, 2008.
http://www.wikimapia.org/p/00/00/19/35/89_big.jpg

You people waste hell lot of land in making interchanges, which are built for a fickle reason that the drivers don't have to slow down or stop at the intersection. How foolish:bash:

^^ You rather have 200,000 vehicles a day to stop at traffic lights?

Free-flowing intechanges are both safer and have a higher capacity than roundabouts or traffic light-controlled intersections.

not the biggest freeway interchange but perhaps the biggest MISTAKE !!!

keep an eye on the brewey in the middle of the first picture, in the second pic it's on the left and third it is on the right.

http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd016/016,930PD.jpg
http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd342/342497PD.jpg
http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd216/216603PD.jpg

^^ You rather have 200,000 vehicles a day to stop at traffic lights?

200,000 vehicles a day is bad enough WITH proper grade-separated interchanges (just ask anyone who uses the N1 between Johannesburg and Pretoria). If it was intersections with traffic lights, travel between those two centres would be just about impossible.

You people waste hell lot of land in making interchanges, which are built for a fickle reason that the drivers don't have to slow down or stop at the intersection. How foolish:bash:
You need to come to my city where we waste tons of time sitting at traffic lights because of our lack of highways and interchanges.

not the biggest freeway interchange but perhaps the biggest MISTAKE !!!

keep an eye on the brewey in the middle of the first picture, in the second pic it's on the left and third it is on the right.


Why was so much of the river reclaimed? Perth has plenty of room.

^^ I agree. Can't see the big mistake.

You people waste hell lot of land in making interchanges, which are built for a fickle reason that the drivers don't have to slow down or stop at the intersection. How foolish:bash:

atgrade intersections which could handle that volume would recquire the same space or more... :lol:

9 adjacent lanes in Buenos Aires;

http://www.ausol.com.ar/ArchivoFotografico/FotosGrandes/fotog13.jpg

http://img347.imageshack.us/img347/9673/buenos9zm.jpg

OMG :nuts:

Panamericana Buenos Aires, Argentina

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/3497/panamerica6gp7gp.jpg

Acceso Norte

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6793/accnbuoensair4.jpg

Aut. Richiery

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1651/32mz.jpg

OMG

Santiago de Chile hasn't wide streets, but it has some points where some ways gathers like this:

Costanera Norte and Autopista Central are joined by 1km, then they spread out again. The sum of the wide of two highways is 90m app.
http://i461.photobucket.com/albums/qq338/xcarras/Santiagocnorteautopcentral.jpg

Panamericana Buenos Aires, Argentina

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/3497/panamerica6gp7gp.jpg

Acceso Norte

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/6793/accnbuoensair4.jpg

Aut. Richiery

http://img197.imageshack.us/img197/1651/32mz.jpg

Buenos Aires

WOOOOOOOOOOOW :nuts:

Wow big bump!

May as well contribute.

401 during a winter storm:
http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/4029/23208136036624e24209o.jpg

Looks like a fun drive eh? :nuts:

^ Haha good ol' Kennedy Rd. and the Delta hotel. 401 could be a mess during the snowy/icy days of winter. I've seen enough cars skidding to other cars or the barriers. Luckily I haven't witnessed one that was fatal. But its width of 12-18 lanes for a long stretch goes to show its consistency as one of the widest highway in the world.

OMG these are awesome

Toronto's 401: not only the widest, but the busiest highway on the planet.

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9599/highway401missqj6.jpg
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9599/highway401missqj6.jpg

A narrower stretch:

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/141683919_a6799bbf58_b.jpg
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/56/141683919_a6799bbf58_b.jpg

A cool shot at sunset:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2390817987_df29d02ebf.jpg?v=1223517663
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3223/2390817987_df29d02ebf.jpg?v=1223517663

Nothing quite like gazing over 17 lanes of traffic. Is that car way over there really on the same road as me? Cripes!

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/2522248451_c8ab4fac22.jpg?v=1211763211
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3280/2522248451_c8ab4fac22.jpg?v=1211763211

Imagine what would happen if that stretch of the 401 would close down during rush hour :ohno:

Imagine what would happen if that stretch of the 401 would close down during rush hour :ohno:

Even on a monster like the 401, gridlock does occasionally occur. Pile ups, tanker trucks tipped over, pigs running all over the place! It's very eerie when traffic comes to a standstill on this highway. You feel like you're in a parking lot at the mall. It's also not uncommon to go from 140 km/h to zero and back up to 140 km/h, then down to a crawl in just a few minutes.

Even on a monster like the 401, gridlock does occasionally occur. Pile ups, tanker trucks tipped over, pigs running all over the place! It's very eerie when traffic comes to a standstill on this highway. You feel like you're in a parking lot at the mall. It's also not uncommon to go from 140 km/h to zero and back up to 140 km/h, then down to a crawl in just a few minutes.

Gridlock happens nearly every day, like so:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/401_Traffic_Jam.jpg

Gridlock happens nearly every day, like so:


I consider gridlock to mean bumper to bumper with no movement at all. 'Get out and have a picnic on the tarmac time'.

Some impressive pictures over here. Love wide roads :okay:

Not as sick as some others in this thread but pretty impressive nonetheless:
Bangkok-Chon Buri Motorway (Highway No.7) next to Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thailand. This is the road you normally take from the Airport to Bangkok city
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1428/1462524843_757ddb9f21_o.jpg

Toronto's 401: not only the widest, but the busiest highway on the planet.

Not hard to believe... I've been there, and despite the number of lanes, I remained about 2 hours in a tremendous and slow traffic jam

401 in Toronto:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=ontario+401+highway,+toronto&sll=51.672555,-85.341797&sspn=28.83004,56.513672&ie=UTF8&t=k&ll=43.767483,-79.345214&spn=0.008151,0.021973&z=16&iwloc=A

Panamericana in Buenos Aires:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=buenos+aires&sll=43.767483,-79.343165&sspn=0.004075,0.006899&ie=UTF8&ll=-34.537036,-58.500513&spn=0.004649,0.006899&t=k&z=17

The Panamericana in Buenos Aires is the widest freeway

Panamericana and the Acceso Norte in BA

Katy Freeway in Houston... 3+4+4+4+3 lanes (including frontage roads). 12 mainline lanes.

However, I see places like Phoenix and San Diego getting even wider freeways...

^^ How do the 4 lanes in the middle work?
Morning in one direction and evening in the other?

Yeah, reversible lanes (also called: tidal lanes).

Great solution for freeways that carry heavy commuter traffic in one direction in the evening and morning.

Paseo Castellana - Madrid

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b7/Paseo_de_la_Castellana_(Madrid)_04.jpg

I consider gridlock to mean bumper to bumper with no movement at all. 'Get out and have a picnic on the tarmac time'.

Look over on the right.

Hi Chris!
You mentioned plans in San Diego and Phoenix for really wide freeways. Do you have details or links about it?

thanks in advance!:)

^^

As of a 2006 estimate, the Broadway Curve portion of I-10 in Tempe carries an average of 294,000 vehicles per day. This number is predicted to increase by over 150,000 to approximately 450,000 by the year 2025. This section of the Maricopa Freeway (Interstate 10) is currently twelve lanes wide; one of the widest sections of freeway in the valley. A study is underway to determine whether widening the Broadway Curve to double its current width to twenty-four lanes is feasible. The study should be complete in 2010, when a decision will be made.

Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_10_in_Arizona)

Avenida 9 de Julio
8, 9 or 10 (depends on the area) lanes in each direction. Total in some areas more than 20 lanes.

http://img32.imageshack.us/img32/4858/9dejulio.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/1854/56buenosairesav9dejulio.jpg

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/6126/139508996hvfyfkfs.jpg

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9048/5581984266b697ec1e2b.jpg

http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/579/80622613.png

http://img194.imageshack.us/img194/8906/fotosb106.jpg



Anenida Del Libertador
10 lanes one direction.

http://img182.imageshack.us/img182/6360/antarctica2008018.jpg

PS: note that both avenues are located inside the city.

BUENOS AIRES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Toronto 401 is impressive

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9048/5581984266b697ec1e2b.jpg


Looks like pretty wide lanes. They could probably fit in 1-2 more lanes if they wanted to.

That lane sign is wrong too, there are three left lanes, but four through lanes, and not five.

Some Moscow pics, not as impressive as Toronto though...

http://lj.lyrics.by/20061207/p1sm-vi_1.jpg

http://img0.liveinternet.ru/images/attach/b/3/20/105/20105712_1205220150_DSC_0045.jpg

http://www.gaysin.ru/images/Mosqow2006/DSC01015.JPG

http://bm.img.com.ua/photo/large/3/2/528023.jpg

Leningradski avenue c. 1949
http://visualrian.ru/storage/PreviewWM/0499/87/049987.jpg

Same place 50 years later. I believe it is the widest street in Moscow. Under huge renovation at this moment.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/Leningradsky_Prospekt_at_night_2.jpg

http://lori.ru/images/0000045703-preview.jpg

^^

http://auto.lenta.ru/l/photo/2006/11/01/traffic/03.jpg

:nuts:

Hmmm, the same Moscow pics over and over again.

:D
http://i31.tinypic.com/10z7g1y.jpg

its' a toll station!
cheater :lol:

anyway where is it? :D

Worthy of attention is one of the streets of Sanaa, Yemen ... is 100 m wide, and about 1 km long.
http://i32.tinypic.com/14kb2x1.jpg

^^ I think it's already in this thread somewhere.

no, this is the first one

no, this is the first one

;)

Sana'a, Yemen:

http://i9.tinypic.com/4v5obys.jpg

The equivalent of over 30 lanes. However, only 10 lanes have actual road markings.

Here in Lisboa (portugal) we have a couple of wide main streets/avenues ... dot as dense as those in BA but nonetheless:

(lanes/tracks from left to right)

Radial de Benfica:
- 2 way/lane bike road (ciclovia)
- freeway 3+3 lanes with hard shoulders
- 4 track railway
- 4 lanes road
- add sidewalks , entrances,exits , gas stations and such
- very lightly used (no more than 100.000 vehicles/day)
= between 100m and 130m wide:

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/23436400.jpg

http://img172.imageshack.us/img172/7972/cril250resize.jpg

2ª Circular (a comon designation for a couple of avenues converted to freeway standards)
- freeway/avenue (varies from 3+3 lanes to 21 lanes + parking , not counting hard shoulders and pedestrian/cicle lanes)
- a lot of paralel entrances/exits (it varies enormously in profile along it's 10km lenght)
- cicle lanes
- some sections have more than 200.000 daily vehicles
= between 30m and 250m wide (notice that theres a gas station in the middle of the widest section) :cheers:

http://mw2.google.com/mw-panoramio/photos/medium/4552274.jpg

Campo grande (avenue):
- 12/16 lanes
- bus lanes
- metro tracks partially under the avenue
- bike lanes
- a lot of pedestrian-only roads
- a huge park in the middle

Heres a picture os the 50's (notice that there were no urban areas to the north
http://xafarica.weblog.com.pt/arquivo/CAMPO%20GRANDE%201955.gif

Partial view of the avenue(northbound lanes):
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3079/3121025542_074d1ba90e.jpg

The lake (I think we can fit most "big" avenues inside here) :lol:
http://carva55.files.wordpress.com/2007/01/jardim-do-campo-grande-lisboa-da-net.jpg

Pedestrian area in the middle:
http://k53.pbase.com/o4/21/4921/1/99272090.aYuhtYaZ.Lisboa_Jd_Campo_Grande1404.jpg

Partial view (southbound lanes, notice the viaduct of the 2ª circular wich is 3+3 freeway on top + 4+4 at street level in that section )
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/2781713320_63facc6f80.jpg?v=0

Partial view (southbound lanes , end of the avenue in the Entrecampos roundabound, notice the tunnel entrances)
http://images04.olx.pt/ui/1/74/95/11966995_1.jpg

A crappy view of the avenue in its narrower section (notice the tunels and the side lanes)
http://images04.olx.pt/ui/2/81/90/35508190_1.jpg


It's hard to get good pictures of these streets. :ohno:

Anyway ... the routes with the biggest number of lanes in portugal (as far as I could count them) are the 2ª circular (see above) , the 25 de Abril tool avenue:

- 5/6 southbound freeflowing lanes
- 16 northbound tollboots/lanes
= 21 lanes ... 120m wide

And the biggest pair of them all ...

the A1 tolls in Alverca (southernmost tolls) with:

-25 toll lanes
- adjacent (local traffic) avenue with 3+2 lanes
= 30 lanes (only 160m wide) :cheers:

The A1 tolls in Carvalhos (northernmost tolls) with:

- 12 sotuhbound toll lanes
- 20 northbound toll lanes
- 1 service lane
= 33 lanes total

:cheers:

http://www.ausol.com.ar//Historia/LaObra/FotosGrandes/SanMartin/3.jpg


vs.


toronto
http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/9599/highway401missqj6.jpg

5 + 5 + 5 + 5 + 2 + 2


This setup only carries 400k/500k daily riders ??? :ohno:

This kind of road usually carries 200k daily vehicles over here in europe.
http://image04.webshots.com/4/3/17/20/57831720zcomkH_fs.jpg

In Poland it would be A4 near interchange with DK86...sometthing like 2+4+4+3 I think

not the biggest freeway interchange but perhaps the biggest MISTAKE !!!

keep an eye on the brewey in the middle of the first picture, in the second pic it's on the left and third it is on the right.

http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd016/016,930PD.jpg
http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd342/342497PD.jpg
http://www.slwa.wa.gov.au/images/pd216/216603PD.jpg

Sure was a mistake! Was the land that is currently used for the junction part of Kings Park back in the day? Or was it part of West Perth?

^^
According to the pics it was water

Here's the highway 400/407 junction in the Toronto area. It is Canada's only 4-level stack interchange.

It is also a textbook example of what a modern diamond stack should look like.
-One of the flyover levels is actually below ground, making it appear much shorter if you were looking at on the ground. This decreases the NIMBY/eyesore factor for local residents.
-The connecting ramps are much longer than earlier designs, increasing the speed, efficiency and safety of the interchange.
-However, this also increases its size, making it one of the largest stack interchanges out there.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/1667167943_b04c65b962_o.jpg

Stacks are not necessarily larger in ground area than cloverleafs with D/C lanes.

I know England isn't know for its highways and big junctions etc

But here is a modest effort by us islanders lol

http://photos.autoexpress.co.uk/images/front_picture_library_UK/dir_447/car_photo_223806_5.jpg

http://pictures.flyerlist.org.uk/current/SpaghettiJunction.jpg

The craziest one in my area is the interchange of 3 highways:omg: in downtown minneapolis; I-35w, I-94, and Minnesota 55:
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w150/dathribab/35w-94-hiawatha.jpg

How about this tall stack? I-35/TX-45 in Austin, Texas

djr0GboqJA8

It isn't actually one, although it is upgradable to one. The direct connectors on the south side of the interchange are missing.

One from Poland, currently under construction, called "Sośnica" - 2 motorways and 1 main road
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x59/postergliwice/wizualizacje/wezel-sosnica.jpg

A lot of these stack interchanges are better to look at than to actually drive on. Many of the urban ones have very sharp ramps, as well as changes in height, that make merging unpleasant.

Isn't one of the ones in LA the tallest? If not which is the tallest interchange? I thought it was a stack.

Freeway construction is induced demand. It forces people to get cars to move around, destroys much more land than mass transit, and creates autocentric sprawling hellholes where walking is not possible, obesity rates are high, and social interaction is confined to inward focused mega malls surrounded by acres and acres of desolate parking lots.

But somehow fucking stupid conservatives like wdw35 think this is just fine and dandy, and make absurd accusation of communism when balance is advocated in transportation. People in Europe have a CHOICE as to how they get around, unlike in the U.S. where we held hostage to the automobile even though we can't make them profitably anymore.

People in Europe have a CHOICE as to how they get around, unlike in the U.S. where we held hostage to the automobile even though we can't make them profitably anymore.

Yep, we waste billions in mass transit systems with 90% still not riding it, similar to the United States :cheers:

This induced demand nonsense gotta stop. It's all about demographical and spatial development, do you think not building freeways stops population growth? Or building a 10 lane freeway through rural Kansas gives 200,000 AADT traffic volumes? Come on man, we're not the environmental club here...

Some "tiny" portuguese interchanges:


Setubal: A2 (east-west 3400m long) crosses with A12 (north-south 2300m long)
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/4099/image4wz.jpg
^^ I still haven't found a biggger one in the USA (but I only measured about 1/100th of them there yet) :cheers:


Nearby (15km to the east) theres another one:

Marateca interchange: A2 (West-South) A12 (from north) A6 (from east)
http://img223.imageshack.us/img223/7949/image6lk.jpg
^^ The E-W and N-S lanes cross each other over the main W-S lanes ... so it's a miserable 3 stack there. :cheers:


Off-the-record: in those interchanges the "direct" paths are easily manouverable at 200km/h or more (125mph) :cheers::nuts:

That's why you're entering the most urban stretch of A4 in Milan and it is a toll free to allow people to use it as a by-pass with no fares

Actually I dislike this solution: I think the better way would be having a nearby free bypass and no intrerchanges for tolled highway in urban stretch. Or better interchanges with the bypass at the begginning and at the end of 'urban' stretch (the one now between the two barriers)
There are solutions like that in other cities in Italy, as in Bologna, for istance
Unforunately in Milan there are no space enough nearby A4, as buildings stand few meters from it
The solution could be to dig a tunnel of more of 20 km just under it (too expensive) or build an elevated highway over the old one, as the 'secundo piso' of Mexico City bypass: I do not think it is possible to make something like that in Europe, for its heavy enviromental impact... probably in '60s or even in '70s, but not today

...
It is 'fault' of that North-South motorway you can see... it is another by-pass. And it has a fare only if you cross that point (I hate this kind of fares) in the interchange with A4 highway (that is tolled for the whole lenght as 'closed system', the most common in Italy, except the branch in inner Milan I told you).
Then: if you just run on the bypass you pay the bypass at the barrier you can see below on the left in the pic; if you just run on A4 you pay at the 'main' barrier in the center just for the highway; if you interchange between A4 and the bypass and viceversa you pay for highway and bypass in one of the smaller barriers

It's as complicated as that :nuts:

Funny ... In Lisboa they just finished a new toll free HIGHWAY right in the middle of hte city.

And it's also called Eixo Norte-Sul (North-South axis). :cheers:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/pedroveiga/EixoNorteSulfotoMrioOliveira.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/pedroveiga/18Fev2007-26.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_J8oQe5UqeFI/RmvPnsEcuEI/AAAAAAAABA0/dn7ANhVdLE4/s400/IMG_0053.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v471/pedroveiga/PV_NEW/5Outubro2007_058red.jpg

On another subject completely different:


See this pictures here ???
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff84/Pelha/IMG_2035.jpg
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff84/Pelha/IMG_1742.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c64/andrebarragon/Estradas/IMG_2964.jpg

Notice the CLOSED freeway entrances in the 1st picture (in the middle near the yellow bilboard) ... they never opened ... instead capacity was "increased" building the railway (wich even passes the bridge in the lower level).

In the north shore of the Tagus it then becames a complete mess:
http://img28.picoodle.com/img/img28/2/6/30/abarros/f_DSC08565m_4699d0e.jpg

Note that the Eixo N/S is hidden behind the trees to the right and a 3+3 avenue truns in the bottom of the valley ... and that there are actually 2 railways on the picture(one coming from th ebridge and one coming from the riverbed level) :cheers:

Isn't one of the ones in LA the tallest? If not which is the tallest interchange? I thought it was a stack.

If I'm not mistaken, the 110/105 interchange is 122 ft high.

Transportation modal mix has almost everything to do with land use.

This thread is a real tour de force. I would like to thank our European friends. :bowtie:




* Michigan actually has four stacks: I-69/I-475 (Flint), I-75/I-696, I-96/M-39, and I-94/I-96 (all Detroit). I-94/I-96 is an edge case since the ramps are pretzel-shaped, but opposite-facing DCs do not cross in plan and there are four levels, so it meets the definition of a stack.

Here's some of the pictures I took of one of the major stack interchanges in Detroit, M-39 (Southfield Fwy) and I-94 (Jeffries Fwy), which is a few miles North of my place:

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/8100/image028wt.jpg

http://img188.imageshack.us/img188/5413/image30iu.jpg

http://img228.imageshack.us/img228/2076/image027p.jpg

http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/7955/image029a.jpg

:cheers:

Yeah, its quite sad that NY and Chicago are two of the only cities you can really get away with on not owning a car. Although still being without a car would still put a big hamper on life. All my family and friends that live downtown have or share at least one car for convenience sake.

I read somewhere that the largest junction by area was the 'Orange Crush Junction' (5/22/57 Interchange) near Angel Stadium in Anaheim, CA. I don't know whether it still is though.

IMHO, as seen in the image and according to GE, the I-35E / I-635 interchange in Farmers Branch is not properly a 4L stack one, because in any point there are four levels stacked over. It is some kind of hybrid one.

http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&t=k&om=1&hq=&hnear=Guadalajara,+Jalisco,+Mexico&ll=32.907853,-96.896909&spn=0.00517,0.010074&z=17


http://www.google.com/maps?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&q=&t=k&om=1&hq=&hnear=Guadalajara,+Jalisco,+Mexico&ll=32.908514,-96.897472&spn=0,359.989926&z=17&layer=c&cbll=32.907853,-96.896909&panoid=0jVXsXqWnjAbJpeytTdVWw&cbp=12,35.05,,0,4.31

Some of these interchanges are stunning!

I know it is a very case dependent answer, but any of you know about how much could be the cost, in a range parameters, for a complete standard stack interchange?

It does depend heavily on site-specific factors but as a generalization, I'd put the cost of a Maltese cross stack interchange at $250 million to $300 million. Most recently constructed stacks (I-10/BW 8, I-10/I-610, Dallas High Five, I-95/I-695 braided interchange replacement, etc.) have been in this general cost range. These were all replacements of existing interchanges, however, and greenfield construction might be significantly cheaper. The NTTA has advertised a stack for construction at the DNT/SH 121T intersection and this might well come under $200 million, since it is fairly simple with ramps diverging after exit rather than separate and braided DCs for each movement.

I have also gone back through the old posts in this thread, with Google Earth open, and added all the stacks others found which I had missed. (Chris found I-30/I-45 in Dallas and I-25/Northwest Parkway in Denver, and I had not yet added I-410/US 281 in San Antonio.) Then I sorted my list of stacks into alphabetical order by country and, for the US, state and city.

My findings: 64 stacks total, of which

* 29 in Texas (14 in Dallas/Fort Worth, 10 in Houston, 5 in San Antonio)

* 10 in California (7 in greater Los Angeles and 1 each in Oakland, Stockton, and San Diego)

* 4 in Michigan (3 in Detroit, 1 in Flint)

* 3 each in Arizona, New York, and Ohio

* 2 each in Alabama, Colorado, and Maryland

* 1 each in Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Washington state

This listing does not include stacks currently under advertisement or missing a few direct connectors which are now under construction. I believe both applies to Texas; SH 121T/DNT has been advertised and will be a stack, and one "stack-ready" interchange in the Houston area is receiving additional direct connectors which will, I think, complete it as a stack. When finished, these projects will pull Texas' total to 31 and the US national total to 66.

For the rest of the world, I have found just 7 stacks, of which

* 3 in Great Britain (2 in greater London, 1 near Bristol)

* 1 each in China, Germany, Spain, and Venezuela

I understand more stacks have opened in China, but I have not found them. The only one I know about is the one in Shanghai.

The Wetzlarer Kreuz is a weird stack in Germany. It connects with a spur freeway to the middle of nowhere.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b4/AK-Wetzlar.png/600px-AK-Wetzlar.png

Prins Clausplein in the Netherlands:
http://www.dag.nl/wp-content/uploads/2007/08/1724913362_1999999879_pcp.jpg

There's a stack in Durban (South Africa).

There are two stacks in New York that I know of;

New York City: I-295 x GCP
Albany: I-90 x I-787

Chris--there is also I-90/US 9 in Albany, which is just to the west of I-90/I-787. Also, it is not that uncommon for stacks to be "wasted" due to incomplete development of the intersecting freeways. I haven't included the Farmington stack because some of the DCs are not actually in service, but this is true of M23/M25 in Britain, I-695/I-70 in Maryland, I-5/Calif 4. in Stockton, etc.

Verso--I'll try to run down the Durban stack.

Edit: Durban now found: it's the N2/N3 interchange and has the apposite name of "Four Level Interchange."

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=-29.840926,30.956239&z=16&t=h&hl=en-GB

Edit (again): The stack completion contract I dimly remembered for Houston is CCSJ 3256-02-074 (Harris County), and the future stack in question is US 59/BW 8 (northern crossing):

http://maps.google.co.uk/maps?ll=29.940428,-95.295281&z=16&t=h&hl=en-GB

Since this contract was advertised for the August 2009 letting, the construction plans are actually still on TxDOT's plans server.

ftp://planuser:txdotplans@plans.dot.state.tx.us/State-Let-Construction/August%2009/08%20Plans

But if you want a copy, don't sit on your hands--plans stay available for six months and then they're gone!

It does depend heavily on site-specific factors but as a generalization, I'd put the cost of a Maltese cross stack interchange at $250 million to $300 million. Most recently constructed stacks (I-10/BW 8, I-10/I-610, Dallas High Five, I-95/I-695 braided interchange replacement, etc.) have been in this general cost range. These were all replacements of existing interchanges, however, and greenfield construction might be significantly cheaper. The NTTA has advertised a stack for construction at the DNT/SH 121T intersection and this might well come under $200 million, since it is fairly simple with ramps diverging after exit rather than separate and braided DCs for each movement.

Thank you. I thought those were more costly

[QUOTE=J
I understand more stacks have opened in China, but I have not found them. The only one I know about is the one in Shanghai.[/QUOTE]

There appears to be only one 'true' stack of the type shown in this thread in Shanghai (the junction between the North-South Elevated Road and the Yan'an Elevated Road near People's Square) but due to Shanghai's use of elevated freeways, several others are at least as tall as stacks with several levels.

Athens: http://maps.google.nl/maps?client=firefox-a&hl=nl&ie=UTF8&ll=38.061807,23.749716&spn=0.006319,0.009645&t=k&z=17

Athens: http://maps.google.nl/maps?client=firefox-a&hl=nl&ie=UTF8&ll=38.061807,23.749716&spn=0.006319,0.009645&t=k&z=17

those are toll booth?

those are toll booth?

Looks like it. Maybe from a free road to a toll road. I can't see that working in America but that certainly is interesting.

I'm pretty sure this has been done before but I want to see what some of your city and/or country's interchanges look like.

Lets start with Los Angeles. It should be said that a lot of interchanges in Los Angeles have names.

The El Toro Y (At one point, the interchange is 26 lanes across)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/El_Toro_Y_at_405%2C5.jpg

The Orange Crush
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/Orangecrush.jpg

The Hollywood Split
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Hollywood_Split_101%2C134%2C170.png

Kellog Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/Kellogg_int_12252005.jpg

Newhall Pass Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Newhall_Pass_Interchange.png

East LA Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/ELA_COMPLEX.jpg/611px-ELA_COMPLEX.jpg

Four Level Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Fourlevel_int_12252005.jpg

Glendora Curve
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Glendora_Curve_210%2C57.png

I'm pretty sure this has been done before but I want to see what some of your city and/or country's interchanges look like.

Lets start with Los Angeles. It should be said that a lot of interchanges in Los Angeles have names.

I'm pretty sure too :)

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=339572&highlight=interchange

And a few others.. It's not really hard to search for 'interchange' in this forum..

Casablanca, Morocco

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/9585/casablancasud.jpg

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=339572&highlight=interchange

And a few others.. It's not really hard to search for 'interchange' in this forum..

Wasn't looking for the world's largest interchange thread. Interchanges in general.

With that said, here is the High 5 in Dallas.

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/72/high5interchangedallasmv3.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/39/High_Five_Interchange.jpg/800px-High_Five_Interchange.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v19/rantanamo/HighFive/asla20040184.jpg

^^ impozante! :cheers:

this could handle all the traffic in our capital, Budapest... :lol:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=339572&highlight=interchange

And a few others.. It's not really hard to search for 'interchange' in this forum..

Yes it is, search is disabled for non-mods in "World Forums" for some reason.

:omg:

Awesome pics and shots!!

I like the 3d model of that interchange

Some Beijing highway interchange

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/e475365649e127ab53dac2a19dda4b93.gif

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/473790e2cf6189e41edcb22e5835f625.gif

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/8836f7f3ec7008ec0c567faa6864e283.gif

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/edfac427ae9ccc83c639cf17ec9d3ada.gif

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/26b816839db824a56e0c665a93c52e28.jpg

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/16f659513382d99ad4f75e74ad24f9fe.jpg

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/42faf1b1f09fc13b72c8b45b44291ce5.gif

http://space.10jqka.com.cn/outer/image1.daqi.com/pic_search/original/12138/e58b0e81f31aa776ecb2ef1385223673.gif

there is so much weaving in that last interchange it's insane.

here's a few Shanghai interchanges courtesy of google earth

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/34/interchange1e.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4994/interchange2.jpg

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/8126/interchange3p.jpg

http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/5030/interchange4.jpg

Some Algerian interchanges

http://i48.tinypic.com/2052vzr.png

http://i49.tinypic.com/30xjrwj.png

http://i45.tinypic.com/292b5vo.png

http://i50.tinypic.com/2visbo3.png

I'm pretty sure this has been done before but I want to see what some of your city and/or country's interchanges look like.

Lets start with Los Angeles. It should be said that a lot of interchanges in Los Angeles have names.

The El Toro Y (At one point, the interchange is 26 lanes across)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/7/70/El_Toro_Y_at_405%2C5.jpg

The Orange Crush
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/5/53/Orangecrush.jpg

The Hollywood Split
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/Hollywood_Split_101%2C134%2C170.png

Kellog Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/Kellogg_int_12252005.jpg

Newhall Pass Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/29/Newhall_Pass_Interchange.png

East LA Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/99/ELA_COMPLEX.jpg/611px-ELA_COMPLEX.jpg

Four Level Interchange
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/63/Fourlevel_int_12252005.jpg

Glendora Curve
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2b/Glendora_Curve_210%2C57.png

It's weird to know that I've driven through all these intersections in my short trip to California back in 2007. I remember driving on 57 over Interstate 10 wondering what it would be like if an earthquake happened since the bridge seemed so high off the ground.

Here's a collection of various highway interchanges in the province of Ontario, in Canada.

(in no order)

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/graphics/english/pubs/shp2007/Hwy404-401-Interchange1024x1475.jpg

http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/graphics/english/pubs/nhp2007/Hwy400-Hwy141-1024x768.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1199/830365922_8d531d37a2_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1051/930057530_ee6a888108_b.jpg

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1301/930057546_2e837fead4_b.jpg

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/198/503776920_4c3ec11844_o.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2174/1667167943_b04c65b962_o.jpg

...And a couple from google earth:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/gf_curtis/hjjy.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v476/gf_curtis/hgfhfg.jpg

I've always thought this interchange gives alot of bang for your buck, very few bridges but free-flowing.
http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc31/scottieboy102/interchange.jpg

http://www.airphotos.gr/photo1/1450.jpg
http://www.airphotos.gr/photo1/1450.jpg

http://www.airphotos.gr/photo1/1452.jpg
http://www.airphotos.gr/photo1/1452.jpg

http://www.airphotos.gr/photo2/2654.jpg
http://www.airphotos.gr/photo2/2654.jpg

http://www.airphotos.gr/photo2/2644.jpg
http://www.airphotos.gr/photo2/2644.jpg

http://www.airphotos.gr/photo4/4475.jpg
http://www.airphotos.gr/photo4/4475.jpg

I'm pretty sure that even at its widest continuous point (excludes ramps that veer off the main road), the 401 is still not as wide as avenue 9 julio in buenos aires. avenue 9 julio is as wide as a buenos aires city block or about 110 meters (360 feet).

the 401 is the widest highway, though. avenue 9 julio is not technically a highway.

:cripes:
Impressive pics. But I have to admit that I am no big fan of these monster highways.

:cripes:
Impressive pics. But I have to admit that I am no big fan of these monster highways.

Right, that road in Toronto looks terrible:ohno:

Right, that road in Toronto looks terrible:ohno:

I got stuck on it during Rush hour , on my way my hotel , its terrible. Very slow and i would expect a highway of that size to move at a decent pace.

Right, that road in Toronto looks terrible:ohno:

It's not so bad - when you're on it, it feels more or less like any other large freeway. However, it does take a little bit of experience to drive on it (navigation-wise), mainly because sometimes you do get confused between the collectors and express. Even happened to me a while ago, I was talking to a friend and forgot to exit the express lanes, ending up missing my exit :)

In my most recent (though not so recent :)) video on Youtube I document a fairly long drive around this huge section of the 401:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gUsZDzji81w

Warringah Freeway, Sydney.
The main road north from the Sydney Harbour Bridge (City West) and Tunnel (City East).
Notice the signs say BRIDGE and TUNNEL to save space.
At 16 lanes wide, it probably has the most lanes of any freeway in Australia.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/80/Warringah_.Freeway.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/e9/CMJ.jpg
CENTRAL MOTORWAY "SPAGHETTI" JUNCTION, AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

Overengineering much? Auckland only has 1.3 million residents.

Overengineering? I don't think so, only one ramp of that interchange has 3 lanes, the rest has 1 or 2 lanes. The reason why there are more fly-overs than usual is that there are exits very close to this interchange, which raises the need for a separation of traffic before the interchange instead of after the interchange.

Some interchanges in Lisboa (Portugal):

A12(VG bridge) + A1 (Lisboa-Porto motorway)+ A36 (CRIL) + IC2
http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/168/image39lh.jpg

A8 + CRIL
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6884/image40t.jpg

25 de Abril bridge + A5 + IP7 + Radial de Benfica
http://img39.imageshack.us/img39/3212/image43u.jpg


Theres plenty more over here ... we got 44 A roads and a lot more without propper A numbering and a lot of hilly interchanges between them. :ohno:

Show your motorway/highway interchanges (Google Maps)
Try to stick to Google Maps so that you can look at the similarities and differences equally. I'm not sure on all the technical names for this junctions though...Here are some interchanges in England...
You can see that the junction layouts, whilst similar to a lot of other countries, are much more compact...

M4 - M25, London

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M4-M25.jpg

M40-M25, London

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M40-M25.jpg

M60-M56-A34, Manchester

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M60-M56-A34.jpg

A60-A61-A666, Manchester

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M60-M61-A666.jpg

M60-M62-M66, Manchester

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M60-M62-M66.jpg

M60-M602-M62, Manchester

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M60-M602-M62.jpg

M62-A62, Leeds

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M62-A62.jpg

M62-M6, Warrington

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M62-M6.jpg

M6-A5125-A38, Birmingham (Gravelly Hill interchange)

http://i181.photobucket.com/albums/x48/poshbakerloo/M6-A5127-A38.jpg

There're all sorts of interchanges in this (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=304380&page=27) thread.

N1 Table Bay Boulevard - N2 Eastern Boulevard interchange next to Cape Town city centre:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5058/5524164498_e5b704925b_o.jpg

N2 Settlers Way - M3 Rhodes Drive interchange:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5523571739_89d9104d1a_o.jpg

N1 Table Bay Boulevard - M5 Black River Parkway interchange. A particularly inadequately designed interchange from the 1960s that is now probably the busiest in the metro area. Fortunately it is being upgraded, you can see the new westbound N1 to southbound M5 and northbound M5 to eastbound N1 ramps under contruction.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5255/5523570875_7125233f8d_b.jpg

N2 Settlers Way - M5 Black River Parkway/Kromboom Parkway interchange. The next interchange (Raapenberg Road) is really too close to be ideal. Interestingly the loop from the southbound M5 to westbound N2 was originally at the northern cloverleaf but was later removed and added to the southern one.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5054/5524161914_d678972201_o.jpg

Wingfield Interchange: N1 - N7 - M7. This cloverleaf from the early 1960s could probably do with upgrading, though the collector-distributor lanes that have been added to the N1 help.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5215/5524160578_b26bdffe37_o.jpg

N2 - R300 Kuils River Freeway/Cape Flats Freeway interchange. The newest of the interchanges, from the early 1990s. Note the loop on the eastbound N2 to southbound R300 is because the R300 curves round to the west south of the N2, therefore less traffic uses this direction.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5524159382_19c00c1aa0_o.jpg

N1 - R300 Kuils River Freeway interchange. This was originally going to be a 4-level stack with the R300 continuing north of the N1. The land has been left open but the northern part was never built. Note the ragged R300 end where it would continue.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5137/5524158050_0561d13765_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5051/5524159382_19c00c1aa0_o.jpg



Why not just make a clover junction?

In this design seems that certain changing of direction is impossible..

Why not just make a clover junction?

In this design seems that certain changing of direction is impossible..

What is the problem with this interchange? Cars can go from any road to any direction...

Why not just make a clover junction?

This design is essentially a hybrid of a stack and a cloverleaf (three quarters stack and one quarter cloverleaf) and it combines the advantages of both. The stack element gives greater capacity, less weaving and faster speeds through semi-directional flyovers rather than cloverleaf loops. For the least used movement, money is saved by a cloverleaf loop rather than a semi-directional flyover.

You can see why the eastbound N2 to southbound R300 movement is much less used than the other three from this map, as in this direction traffic doubles back on itself:-

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5217/5536869289_9d80a8db77_o.jpg

this is not really big iterchange, but it worth to see it, is in san luis potosi mexicohttp://www.flickr.com/photos/53552967@N07/5758787753/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/53552967@N07/5758998210

401 has 22 active lanes at its widest. I-10 in Houston has 26. By almost any measure 1-10 is a bigger, wider highway than 401.

401 is still far busier, though. (And impossible as it may seem, I-10 DOES experience gridlock quite often.)

Notice the 150-meter width with only one non-concrete segment

(Note: this is not the segment with the most lanes, it's the widest segment)

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/739/katy2v.jpg

Frontage roads don't count in my opinion. They're not part of the freeway and have driveway access.

The frontage road IS part of I-10. Houston labels it as "IH-10" and is always included in lane counts, as are all access roads for 401 and other highways. This as opposed to, for example, the frontage roads of Sam Houston Tollway, which are a completely different entity on its own called the Beltway 8.

Even if you don't want to count frontage lanes, this segment of I-10 is still the world's widest road by many measures. And like I said, it is perfectly valid to count them because they ARE part of Interstate Highway 10. Think of it this way: Both the Katy Freeway and the frontage roads are comprised within IH-10.

That said, you do make a good point. If I'm including frontage lanes I should say that it is the widest highway, not freeway.

Frontage have no freeway design standards (traffic lights, driveway access, etc), so I don't think they should count :) Many rural freeways in Texas have frontage roads as well, but I don't think people will say "that's an 8-lane freeway".

20+ lanes at widest, Grandview Traingle interchange (Kansas City, MO: US71, US50,I-435, I-470)
This has to be one of the biggest for a city this size (metro 2.1 million)
http://i51.tinypic.com/r8blhk.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/21kgodj.jpg

This is the biggest and the most complicated interchange in Bulgaria:
http://media.snimka.bg/9006/024268140-big.jpg

It is situated in the southern part of Veliko Tarnovo and gathers five directions together, as written on the map. A few closer shots in direction Gabrovo -> Varna:

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969959-big.jpg

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969960-big.jpg

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969961-big.jpg

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969962-big.jpg

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969963-big.jpg

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969965-big.jpg

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969966-big.jpg

http://media.snimka.bg/8857/023969967-big.jpg

Map:
http://maps.google.com/?ll=43.073606,25.633249&spn=0.012148,0.02738&z=16

And a night shot:
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/48344354.jpg
Original (http://www.panoramio.com/photo/48344354)

Motorways A1/A10 interchange (near Lisbon, Portugal)

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7731/cruza.png

I wonder if there were photos of this (http://maps.google.co.uk/?ll=31.119456,121.386995&spn=0.024762,0.045447&t=h&z=15&vpsrc=6) thing posted in this thread? If no then does anyone know how it's called and if there are any good photos online?

^^ I think that it's probably called "spaghetti"... ;)

^^

That's indeed a good nickname for it! :lol:

One from Poland, currently under construction, called "Sośnica" - 2 motorways and 1 main road
http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x59/postergliwice/wizualizacje/wezel-sosnica.jpg

Finished over a year ago:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Wezelsosnicafromthesky.JPG