Best Interchange Designs

[webny99]

What would you nominate for the best interchange design?

For freeway-freeway, I think this one is the best from both a visual and a functional standpoint: I-205 and WA 14 near Vancouver, WA.
For freeway-surface street, I prefer classic Ontario-style, as it combines the best of a diamond and a full cloverleaf.

[1995hoo]

I have always liked I-395 and King Street in Alexandria, Virginia, because of how it nicely and cleanly eliminates the weave-area problem that is a central issue with a standard cloverleaf. Yes, it requires two additional overpasses, but overall those are a minor addition when compared to flyover ramps or similar. Compare, for instance, to the much-longer flyover ramp at nearby I-395 and Duke Street–also, that interchange was recently modified to remove a loop ramp from the southwest corner (where the Days Inn is on the map) so as to eliminate the resulting weave area on I-395, but the downside of this modification is that Duke Street now has a new traffic light because traffic that previously used the now-deleted loop ramp must turn left onto Duke Street. The King Street interchange is, in my opinion, a cleaner way to solve the problem.

[MCRoads]

I nominate this interchange for its sheer compactness. It is a semi-directional T interchange that has been folded in on itself.

[webny99]

I have always liked I-395 and King Street in Alexandria, Virginia, because of how it nicely and cleanly eliminates the weave-area problem that is a central issue with a standard cloverleaf.

Interesting. I like that a lot and wonder why that design isn't used more given that the ROW is very similar to a standard cloverleaf.

[tradephoric]

My favorite vs. least favorite freeway-surface street interchange.  MDOT selected the DDI at the recently reconstructed I-75 / Big Beaver interchange:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v1QPaYISFA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYWqbslCChU

[MCRoads]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v1QPaYISFA

I designed something very similar to this here. Sadly, I bet that this type of design will never be used, as other alternatives have already been built, and proven. But, I guess it would only take one being built to start a trend...

[Henry]

It is often copied but never duplicated: The Jane M. Byrne Interchange in Chicago (where the Dan Ryan, Kennedy and Eisenhower Expressways plus Congress Parkway meet)

As a native Chicagoan, it'll always be the Circle Interchange to me.

[MinecraftNinja]

I-93/US 1 and I-90/route 1A in Boston.

[OCGuy81]

What would you nominate for the best interchange design?

For freeway-freeway, I think this one is the best from both a visual and a functional standpoint: I-205 and WA 14 near Vancouver, WA.
For freeway-surface street, I prefer classic Ontario-style, as it combines the best of a diamond and a full cloverleaf.

That one in Vancouver, WA is certainly unique in its design, I like it as well.

I'd say the Houston area has some nice ones. Most of the stacks along Beltway 8 are impressive, if just for their size.

[webny99]

I'm actually not a fan of huge four- and five-level stacks. Sure, they're impressive, and there are no issues from a functional standpoint, but they're also not very creative. Take this, for example. What's special about this interchange? It looks like generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city. I prefer designs with a bit more creativity, possibly some terrain, some nice views, and incorporation of local elements.

[MCRoads]

I'm actually not a fan of huge four- and five-level stacks. Sure, they're impressive, and there are no issues from a functional standpoint, but they're also not very creative. Take this, for example. What's special about this interchange? It looks like generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city. I prefer designs with a bit more creativity, possibly some terrain, some nice views, and incorporation of local elements.

Ah, so you would like Albuquerque. I've always lived that interchange. Great execution of that design, too.

[ari-s-drives]

I thought that the Watertown Plank Rd interchange with I-41 was a creative way to build a free-flowing arterial-interstate interchange.

[ztonyg]

I'm actually not a fan of huge four- and five-level stacks. Sure, they're impressive, and there are no issues from a functional standpoint, but they're also not very creative. Take this, for example. What's special about this interchange? It looks like generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city. I prefer designs with a bit more creativity, possibly some terrain, some nice views, and incorporation of local elements.

Ah, so you would like Albuquerque. I've always lived that interchange. Great execution of that design, too.

I like the "Big-I". Interestingly enough the "Big I" used to be a clone of this interchange https://www.google.com/maps/place/Kansas+City,+KS/@39.1042401,-94.679525,1002m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x87c08ce427cf3515:0xdc77777b70c31e05!8m2!3d39.1155314!4d-94.6267873, only rotated 90 degrees.

I also like this interchange that I use regularly: https://www.google.com/maps/@33.4358366,-111.8918471,16.25z, It's a nice turbine-stack hybrid that is functional and moves a lot of traffic.

[ari-s-drives]

I'm actually not a fan of huge four- and five-level stacks. Sure, they're impressive, and there are no issues from a functional standpoint, but they're also not very creative. Take this, for example. What's special about this interchange? It looks like generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city. I prefer designs with a bit more creativity, possibly some terrain, some nice views, and incorporation of local elements.

I'm not sure how creative it is, but the interchange between I-5 and CA 52/La Jolla Pkwy certainly has views and is literally built into the side of a canyon.

[webny99]

I'm actually not a fan of huge four- and five-level stacks. Sure, they're impressive, and there are no issues from a functional standpoint, but they're also not very creative. Take this, for example. What's special about this interchange? It looks like generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city. I prefer designs with a bit more creativity, possibly some terrain, some nice views, and incorporation of local elements.

Ah, so you would like Albuquerque. I've always lived that interchange. Great execution of that design, too.

I sense sarcasm. No denying the great views from the top levels, but I stand by my point that it's not a very creative design.

I like the "Big-I". Interestingly enough the "Big I" used to be a clone of I-70/I-635, only rotated 90 degrees.

Does "Big-I" refer to I-25/I-40?

As for your Kansas City example (I fixed the link for you to remove the scroll bar), Rochester has a very similar interchange between 390 and I-490, currently under partial re-construction.

[webny99]

[img snipped]

I thought that the Watertown Plank Rd interchange with I-41 was a creative way to build a free-flowing arterial-interstate interchange.

That's cool-looking, and takes less ROW in the top left and bottom right quadrants, but it also has two (or four, depending on how you count) extra overpasses. Overall, I like it, but am not sold on it being easily replicable elsewhere.

I'm not sure how creative it is, but the interchange between I-5 and CA 52/La Jolla Pkwy certainly has views and is literally built into the side of a canyon.

Yeah, that does have great views, and is unique because of the two missing ramps and the 90 degree turn on LaJolla Pkwy. I'm in!

[sprjus4]

I'm actually not a fan of huge four- and five-level stacks. Sure, they're impressive, and there are no issues from a functional standpoint, but they're also not very creative. Take this, for example. What's special about this interchange? It looks like generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city. I prefer designs with a bit more creativity, possibly some terrain, some nice views, and incorporation of local elements.

While it mainly is a generic interchange, I'll agree with you there, it is sort of unique in the sense of dealing with the US-290 split off of I-610 a mile north of I-10, and having a split roadway for US-290 traffic bound directly to I-10 without having to touch the I-610 mainline.

But that's about it.

[kphoger]

One of the ugliest stacks has to be I-37/I-410.

[US 89]

I'm actually not a fan of huge four- and five-level stacks. Sure, they're impressive, and there are no issues from a functional standpoint, but they're also not very creative. Take this, for example. What's special about this interchange? It looks like generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city. I prefer designs with a bit more creativity, possibly some terrain, some nice views, and incorporation of local elements.

Ah, so you would like Albuquerque. I've always lived that interchange. Great execution of that design, too.

I sense sarcasm. No denying the great views from the top levels, but I stand by my point that it's not a very creative design.

I like the "Big-I". Interestingly enough the "Big I" used to be a clone of I-70/I-635, only rotated 90 degrees.

Does "Big-I" refer to I-25/I-40?

Yes.

And the Big I incorporates a bunch of things you just mentioned. Nice views? Sandias to the east - check. Local elements? Check out the color scheme on the bridges. Creativity? Take a look at the landscaping.

[webny99]

Does "Big-I" refer to I-25/I-40?

Yes.

And the Big I incorporates a bunch of things you just mentioned. Nice views? Sandias to the east - check. Local elements? Check out the color scheme on the bridges. Creativity? Take a look at the landscaping.

Right, so it's not exactly "generic big-city infrastructure that really could be in any big, flat city". That sets it apart from most other stack interchanges.

[ztonyg]

One of the ugliest stacks has to be I-37/I-410.

That's hideous. That's significantly uglier than my vote: I-75/I-696

[MCRoads]

One of the ugliest stacks has to be I-37/I-410.

That's hideous. That's significantly uglier than my vote: I-75/I-696

Might have a stack that's uglier: the Ghost Stack on I-84 near Hartford. They did not give 2 craps about aesthetics while designing this...

[kphoger]

One of the ugliest stacks has to be I-37/I-410.

That's hideous. That's significantly uglier than my vote: I-75/I-696

Might have a stack that's uglier: the Ghost Stack on I-84 near Hartford. They did not give 2 craps about aesthetics while designing this...

Had to look up what that referred to.  Definitely a contender.

[webny99]

the Ghost Stack on I-84 near Hartford. They did not give 2 craps about aesthetics while designing this...

Had to look up what that referred to.  Definitely a contender.

Even worse: the second level and one of the forks on the fourth level are stubs. Compare satellite view with regular view.

[CoreySamson]

I have a couple ones I really like:

Generally, I like stacks (even if they can get a little boring), DDIs, and volleyball interchanges.

I like this cloverleaf in NOLA for it's lack of weaving on the arterial:
https://www.google.com/maps/@29.9974594,-90.1542972,869m/data=!3m1!1e3

I also like the I-96/US 131 intersection in Grand Rapids:
https://www.google.com/maps/@42.973197,-85.6785569,1019m/data=!3m1!1e3