What kind of intersection is this?

[jakeroot]

Who thinks this is a traffic circle? Perhaps a fancy town-square-style intersection? Maybe just a strange conglomeration of one-way roads with median u-turn points?

I'm holding back from calling it a traffic circle because of the no-turn nature of the top-left/bottom-right ingress legs.

Google Maps Link

[empirestate]

I'd call it a Boston Special.

[NE2]

I'm holding back from calling it a traffic circle because of the no-turn nature of the top-left/bottom-right ingress legs.

Presumably due to the nearby cross streets. Otherwise it's just like this one in Boston.

[silverback1065]

A squashed roundabout

[jakeroot]

I'm holding back from calling it a traffic circle because of the no-turn nature of the top-left/bottom-right ingress legs.

Presumably due to the nearby cross streets. Otherwise it's just like this one in Boston.

Very similar indeed. Though most interesting is the difference in age of the intersections. Boston's was built in the 60s, whereas Las Vegas' was built only 5 years ago. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure both have high throughput for traffic, and neither is likely any more dangerous than a normal intersection. It's just that the design is more typical of mid-20th century New England than 21st century Nevada.

A squashed roundabout

That's what I thought. But I'm not sure we can get away with calling it a roundabout of any sort because the movements are signalized.

[riiga]

Some sort of traffic circle I'd say. It's not a roundabout since it lacks roundabout signage.

[kphoger]

I would definitely call it a traffic circle, despite the crazy absence of the two slip ramps you mentioned.

[roadfro]

Some background on this intersection:

This is the intersection of Las Vegas Blvd at Main St & 5th St, in North Las Vegas, NV.

Las Vegas Blvd is old US 91 through the Las Vegas area. At this intersection, it curves from heading due north/south to curving northeast/southwest. Main Street continues to downtown Las Vegas along the northeast/southwest alignment. The north/south part of Las Vegas Blvd is on the old 5th St alignment, and 5th St now begins here.

This intersection used to be just a wide intersection controlled by a set of signals on a old signal bridge/monopole-type setup. North Las Vegas & the RTC has long envisioned developing North 5th Street into a major north/south arterial connecting downtown to developing northern areas (there are few really solid continuous connections presently, and freeway access is out of the way in either direction). The major arterial will eventually be widened all the way to the northern 215 beltway (an interchange and major shopping developments exist there already).

They have been gradually moving forward with this. First, a major widening on 5th took place for the mile or so north of this circle (it was previously as narrow as one lane each direction just north of the circle). This circular intersection was the second stage, and was designed to help improve the flows coming from the new arterial to the north and integrating traffic flowing towards downtown on Main/LVB. The next stage is in progress with construction of a new bridge over I-15 to connect 5th Street at Losee Road.

I would definitely call it a traffic circle, despite the crazy absence of the two slip ramps you mentioned.

A modified traffic circle is probably the best descriptor using typical traffic engineering lingo.

The absent "slip ramps" (right turns) mentioned are omitted since these are unlikely, given this intersection's proximity to other major roadways that would better facilitate those movements.

[jeffandnicole]

When I dive down into the GSV, it's hardly any type of circle.  It's really just two intersections with a wide median.  The median has the look of a circle especially from an aerial viewpoint, but there's nothing that indicates it operates like a circle or roundabout. 

[vtk]

It is a collection of several intersections and one-way roads between them.

On the other hand, a roundabout is exactly that, with a few additional conditions that aren't met here. So calling it a modified traffic circle is also plausibly correct.

[RG407]

A traffic oval?  A traffic ellipse?   

[froggie]

It's not a roundabout since it lacks roundabout signage.

It also has traffic signals.