Best and worst interchange in the US

[Tom958]

Best is hard. What would be the best if it existed would be a four-level stack with url=https://goo.gl/maps/ruQKfnX6igWybw49A]these sexy curved-bottom bridges[/url]. Alas, the best we have has a pair of flyovers that don't almost bump each other like they're supposed to, plus one loop ramp and one underground ramp for the other movements. There's also this one nearby: the beam bottoms aren't as round, but it's more complete, and it has the bump.

[CoreySamson]

I think this intersection is absolutely awful in just how obnoxious it is.

The Intersection of I-10, Clearview Parkway, and Veterans Memorial Boulevard in Metairie, LA.

The intersection overall:


Close ups...

Veterans/Clearview:

Note, the orange/red parts of clearview are an elevated bridge over veterans.

I-10/Clearview:



Openstreetmap link:
https://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=16/29.9992/-90.1543

Why the hate? I think it's a marvelous improvement on a cloverleaf with how it removes the weave on Veterans. I actually contemplated putting it as one of my favorites.

[Revive 755]

Illinois is notorious for its freeway-to-freeway cloverleafs. I-39/80, I-74/80, I-57/74, and I-55/72 all suck the big one but none are as bad as I-55/80 near Joliet. It's not the worst interchange in the country, but it's certainly one of the dumbest and most underpowered.

You didn't mention the I-74/I-280/US 6 cloverleaf where mainline EB I-74 goes through a loop ramp.

I never thought the I-39/90 split was that bad, but I haven't driven I-39 south of there so I don't know the full story.

The WB to SB ramp is low speed and then enters SB I-39 on the left side.  Getting to the Harrison Avenue exits can get interesting.

[SeriesE]

I nominate the East Los Angeles Interchange complex as the worst

[IowaTraveler]

For one of the worst, I nominate the I-380/IA 100 volleyball/3-level diamond interchange in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for being a freeway-to-freeway interchange with no free-flowing ramps. In addition, some directions don't even have direct access to the interchange, so you have to drive on frontage roads to even get to or from it. As a result, the various movements through the interchange require going through anywhere from 1 to 5 stoplights.



For the best interchanges in terms of appearance from an aerial view, I really like symmetrical turbine interchanges like the I-27/US 87/I-40 interchange in Amarillo, Texas.



Another interchange that's satisfying to look at from an aerial view is the US 41/US 50/US 150 directional T interchange in Vincennes, Indiana with nearly perfect radial symmetry, which is unusual for a 3-way interchange.

[webny99]

I took the title literally and tried to find one horrible but awesome interchange.

I like that!

My nomination for "best AND worst" would be I-490/I-590/NY 590, the Can of Worms interchange. It works remarkably well given the complexities, including the railroad and NY 96 crossing through the interchange area, plus closely-spaced interchanges on all four approaches (Blossom Rd, Penfield Rd, Highland Ave, Winton Rd). And from a bird's-eye view, it looks pretty good too.

At the same time, the signage is by far the worst of any major junction in the region (it's aging/peeling in spots, lacks proper controls, uses diagrammatics instead of APL's, and doesn't provide enough advance warning), and it's still a major pain to pass through the interchange at rush hour - especially southbound in the AM and east/westbound in the PM. And you could certainly argue the ramps between north and east need two lanes each, but widening and/or realignment is extremely unlikely given the many complicating factors.

[DJ Particle]

For one of the worst, I nominate the I-380/IA 100 volleyball/3-level diamond interchange in Cedar Rapids, Iowa for being a freeway-to-freeway interchange with no free-flowing ramps. In addition, some directions don't even have direct access to the interchange, so you have to drive on frontage roads to even get to or from it. As a result, the various movements through the interchange require going through anywhere from 1 to 5 stoplights.

To be fair, that's where IA-100's freeway portion ends.     Also, it wasn't a freeway to the west until just recently.