Five+ level stacks

[Bickendan]

Seems like this would have been a topic sometime back...

Where are the notable 5+ level stacks?

The Dallas High-5 is the obvious one.
I'll throw in the Pasadena Interchange (I-210/CA 134/710)
http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/34.15029/-118.15563&layers=Q

The Century/Harbor Stack (I-105/110)
http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/33.92838/-118.28110&layers=Q

The Fremont Stack (I-5/405/US 30) might get by on the technicality that I-405 is double decked; the unbuilt movements don't help. Note that the ground level (Mississippi Ave, Interstate Ave) doesn't interact with the upper levels.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/45.54417/-122.67502&layers=Q


I'm sure there are others lurking about.

[lepidopteran]

Does the I-75/I-20 stack in downtown Atlanta come to 5 levels at any point?

[Big John]

Marquette Interchange in Milwaukee (I-43/94/794)

[NE2]

The Fremont Stack (I-5/405/US 30) might get by on the technicality that I-405 is double decked; the unbuilt movements don't help. Note that the ground level (Mississippi Ave, Interstate Ave) doesn't interact with the upper levels.
http://www.openstreetmap.org/#map=17/45.54417/-122.67502&layers=Q

I'd call this 4.5-level, since the double-decker roadways have partly gone to a single level by the time the top-level ramp crosses over them.

Does the I-75/I-20 stack in downtown Atlanta come to 5 levels at any point?

It doesn't even reach 4 levels. I-85/I-285 might be another 4.5, depending on how low the eastbound-to-northbound ramp is where the southbound C/D road crosses over it.

The Sam Houston Tollway has several, though some might be only 4.5, since the SHT starts coming down from level 2 by the time the left turns cross over it.

[dfwmapper]

Texas has a bunch, most involving toll roads.
DFW: I-35E/Sam Rayburn Tollway (half stack), Dallas North Tollway/SRT, I-30/President George Bush Turnpike (once fully constructed), I-20/Chisholm Trail Parkway (future, 5th level ramps are planned but not built), and of course the High Five.
Austin: I-35/SH 45 North, US 183/SH 45 North, US 183/US 290, and I-35/US 290 North (all half stacks), I-35/US 290 South/SH 71
San Antonio: US 281/Loop 1604 (half)
Houston: I-10/SH 99 West, Tollway/I-45 North, Tollway/US 59 (I-69) North, Tollway/I-10 East, Tollway/I-45 South, Tollway/US 59 (I-69) South, Tollway/US 290

[wxfree]

Texas has a bunch, most involving toll roads.
DFW: I-35E/Sam Rayburn Tollway (half stack), Dallas North Tollway/SRT, I-30/President George Bush Turnpike (once fully constructed), I-20/Chisholm Trail Parkway (future, 5th level ramps are planned but not built), and of course the High Five.
Austin: I-35/SH 45 North, US 183/SH 45 North, US 183/US 290, and I-35/US 290 North (all half stacks), I-35/US 290 South/SH 71
San Antonio: US 281/Loop 1604 (half)
Houston: I-10/SH 99 West, Tollway/I-45 North, Tollway/US 59 (I-69) North, Tollway/I-10 East, Tollway/I-45 South, Tollway/US 59 (I-69) South, Tollway/US 290

In, I think, all of these cases, there's an added level due to frontage roads.  I don't know if that should be counted, since it isn't part of the freeway-to-freeway interchange, but is effectively a separate road system intersecting within the interchange grounds.  If it should be counted as a level, should it be disregarded for comparison since most other areas don't use frontage roads as much?  Is an interchange that's in every other way the same less impressive because of the lack of frontage roads?

As a definite 5-level, there's I-35W at I-20.  The north-south frontage roads are on the ground, at the same level as I-35W, and the east-west frontage roads are broken, so there's no added level.  There are two levels of freeways under three levels of ramps.  The other examples have two levels of freeways under two levels of ramps, or a different arrangement, with a level of frontage roads added.

Actually, the SHT/I-45 interchange is interesting.  Disregarding frontage roads, the northbound to westbound ramp crosses over a ramp that crosses over I-45, and is then crossed over by another, third level ramp.  The ramp it crosses over is at about the same elevation as the SHT main lanes, so there are three levels of ramps, but one of them (westbound to southbound) may be the same level as SHT.  Excluding frontage roads, I'd say this is a 4-level with a characteristic (three ramp levels) of a 5-level.

[kphoger]

I see no reason to disregard due to frontage roads. It's five levels of roadway at one location. Especially since frontage roads are actually part of a given route, I say traffic on them is just as much a part of the highway as that on the mainline.

[NE2]

If you discount frontage roads, the Dallas High Five is only four levels. You should also discount other surface roads, so the Marquette Interchange doesn't count.

[bzakharin]

Not sure if the northern I-695/I-95 interchange in Maryland (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.351689,-76.497534,3a,90y,122.65h,63.65t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1syKOwkPWmF1T66-G3eP5lzA!2e0!5m1!1e1) counts as 4 or 5. Also, this one in East Orange, NJ (https://www.google.com/maps/place/East+Orange/@40.7589743,-74.2071381,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c254b114ed3fbd:0x1dc0619cb493bb5c!5m1!1e1) especially if you count the railroad (which is elevated above the entire interchange).

[NE2]

Not sure if the northern I-695/I-95 interchange in Maryland (https://www.google.com/maps/@39.351689,-76.497534,3a,90y,122.65h,63.65t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1syKOwkPWmF1T66-G3eP5lzA!2e0!5m1!1e1) counts as 4 or 5.

I only see four levels - standard stack.

Also, this one in East Orange, NJ (https://www.google.com/maps/place/East+Orange/@40.7589743,-74.2071381,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c254b114ed3fbd:0x1dc0619cb493bb5c!5m1!1e1) especially if you count the railroad (which is elevated above the entire interchange).

Huh? That's only three levels at any point.

[bzakharin]

Also, this one in East Orange, NJ (https://www.google.com/maps/place/East+Orange/@40.7589743,-74.2071381,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c254b114ed3fbd:0x1dc0619cb493bb5c!5m1!1e1) especially if you count the railroad (which is elevated above the entire interchange).

Huh? That's only three levels at any point.

Railroad, Main Street, ramp, Oraton Parkway, Garden State Parkway, I-280. The first 2 or the second 2 are on the same level at any given time, which makes 5

[NE2]

Also, this one in East Orange, NJ (https://www.google.com/maps/place/East+Orange/@40.7589743,-74.2071381,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c254b114ed3fbd:0x1dc0619cb493bb5c!5m1!1e1) especially if you count the railroad (which is elevated above the entire interchange).

Huh? That's only three levels at any point.

Railroad, Main Street, ramp, Oraton Parkway, Garden State Parkway, I-280. The first 2 or the second 2 are on the same level at any given time, which makes 5

By that logic, this is an infinite-level interchange:

[Bickendan]

Also, this one in East Orange, NJ (https://www.google.com/maps/place/East+Orange/@40.7589743,-74.2071381,17z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x89c254b114ed3fbd:0x1dc0619cb493bb5c!5m1!1e1) especially if you count the railroad (which is elevated above the entire interchange).

Huh? That's only three levels at any point.

Railroad, Main Street, ramp, Oraton Parkway, Garden State Parkway, I-280. The first 2 or the second 2 are on the same level at any given time, which makes 5

At most, you could call this a 4, but that's at the southern interchange point. The eastern point is a three, and where the two highways actually cross is also a three: Main St and railroad are top level (3), GSP and Oraton are mid level (2), and I-280 and its C/D ramps are bottom level (1).

[wxfree]

My reason for excluding frontage roads (maybe not for level count purposes, but for comparative purposes) is that it gives a biased advantage toward places that use frontage roads.  Texas will naturally have more five-levels because we have so many frontage roads.  Does that mean we like bigger interchanges or does it mean we like frontage roads?  Should a similar interchange without frontage roads be held in lower regard?

I view the I-35W at I-20 interchange to be more impressive in terms of the number of levels, because all levels are access-controlled.  Of course, there are other characteristics that make some other interchanges more impressive overall, such as the High Five which has three top-level ramps and US 75 at PGBT which has two wide bridges carrying main lanes at the top level.  To me, that seems like it's worthy of its own discussion: non-depressed interchanges with elevated main lanes at the top.

Interchange with main lanes at top and bottom levels, and ramps in between: Sandwich interchange?  The street view from US 75 makes me think of that.  http://goo.gl/maps/7mchH

[NE2]

My reason for excluding frontage roads (maybe not for level count purposes, but for comparative purposes) is that it gives a biased advantage toward places that use frontage roads.  Texas will naturally have more five-levels because we have so many frontage roads.  Does that mean we like bigger interchanges or does it mean we like frontage roads?  Should a similar interchange without frontage roads be held in lower regard?

By similar logic, I-105/I-110 should be discounted because Socal likes direct HOV connections. Most five-levels are special cases that use something extra to get the fifth level (Marquette due to the whole thing being elevated over surface roads, I-85/285 due to the C/D road somewhat inexplicably going over everything).

I view the I-35W at I-20 interchange to be more impressive in terms of the number of levels, because all levels are access-controlled.

That's a strange one, in that it seems better to put the westbound to southbound ramp on the third level and shift it to the southeast so it doesn't cross the opposing left turn twice. Any idea why they did it this way? It seems to have replaced the original cloverleaf all at once, so it can't be for historical reasons.

[wxfree]

I view the I-35W at I-20 interchange to be more impressive in terms of the number of levels, because all levels are access-controlled.

That's a strange one, in that it seems better to put the westbound to southbound ramp on the third level and shift it to the southeast so it doesn't cross the opposing left turn twice. Any idea why they did it this way? It seems to have replaced the original cloverleaf all at once, so it can't be for historical reasons.

I have no idea why it was designed that way.  The I-35W left turns are both off to the side of the mid-point, but don't cross.  The I-20 left turns both go around the mid-point, so they cross with grade separations.  The overall shape seems to be intended to use the empty land to the east and avoiding the occupied land to the west.  Even with the space constraints, it looks like the I-20 left turns could have been shorter and the level-five put under the two level-fours.  The only thing I can think of is that all of the ramps are quite long, and store cars off the main lanes during heavy traffic.  I-35W reduces to three lanes south of I-20.  Maybe they wanted the ramp to be longer to keep heavy southbound traffic from eventually blocking westbound lanes.  Most of the ramp is two-lane to increase its storage capacity, as is the other I-20 left turn which is also lengthened by this arrangement.

As an alternative to excluding frontage and other surface roads, perhaps we could consider the interchanges in this list to be five-level, but have a sub-category for five access-controlled levels.  Having three levels of ramps looks to me like enough of a difference that it merits some kind of separate classification.

[robbones]

Could the I 49/I 40 interchange in Alma, AR become a 5 level when I 49 is extended south?

[NE2]

Could the I 49/I 40 interchange in Alma, AR become a 5 level when I 49 is extended south?

Why would it? Going from 4 to 5 requires a significant change from a normal stack.

[vtk]

By that logic, this is an infinite-level interchange:

So, for the purposes of this thread do you care that you put the loops in the wrong quadrants?  Imma guess no, but I'm amused by your rare technical error so I'm pointing it out in both threads.

[NE2]

That's a strange one, in that it seems better to put the westbound to southbound ramp on the third level and shift it to the southeast so it doesn't cross the opposing left turn twice. Any idea why they did it this way? It seems to have replaced the original cloverleaf all at once, so it can't be for historical reasons.

By the way, I-64/I-270 is a topologically similar 3-level (the left turns from I-64 have a somewhat steep downhill to get down to level 2 before passing under I-64).

[NE2]

So, for the purposes of this thread do you care that you put the loops in the wrong quadrants?  Imma guess no, but I'm amused by your rare technical error so I'm pointing it out in both threads.

Actually I put the left-side left turns in the wrong quadrants. And now the evidence is hidden in the history. So suck it.

[lepidopteran]

For what it's worth, that looks just like the I-95/MD-32 interchange.  Assume I-95 NB heads toward the right. One main difference is that MD-32 goes over SB I-95 but under NB, rather than the interwoven pattern.

[1995hoo]

I can't determine whether the big interchange near Weston, Florida, of I-75, I-595, and FL-869 would qualify. There appear to be five levels looking at it, but its shape is somewhat different from what you usually think of as a stack.

Going from lowest to highest with a couple of ramps omitted from the list:

(1) I-75 thru movement
(2) I-75 to I-595 (plus frontage roads) and vice versa
(3) I-75 to FL-869 and vice versa
(4) Westbound I-595 to southbound I-75; southbound I-75 to northbound FL-869
(5) Southbound FL-869 to eastbound I-595

https://www.google.com/maps/@26.1190859,-80.349986,1924m/data=!3m1!1e3

[NE2]

I can't determine whether the big interchange near Weston, Florida, of I-75, I-595, and FL-869 would qualify. There appear to be five levels looking at it, but its shape is somewhat different from what you usually think of as a stack.

Your level 2 returns to ground level before it passes under 869, so it's only 4 levels.

[1995hoo]

I can't determine whether the big interchange near Weston, Florida, of I-75, I-595, and FL-869 would qualify. There appear to be five levels looking at it, but its shape is somewhat different from what you usually think of as a stack.

Your level 2 returns to ground level before it passes under 869, so it's only 4 levels.

Fair enough, thanks.

I was trying to figure out the Springfield Interchange, but it looks like a maximum of four levels at any given point.

https://www.google.com/maps/@38.7900484,-77.174715,865m/data=!3m1!1e3