Freeways that end at roundabouts

[peterj920]

I don't think this is very common, but US 53 is a freeway that ends at a roundabout in Eau Claire, WI.  US 10 in Marshfield is also a freeway/expressway that ends at a roundabout.  Changes were recently made to the US 53/Old Town Hall Rd roundabout which included adding rumble strips and installing a mound in the roundabout circle because there were a lot of crashes, I'm guessing because people don't expect to see a roundabout while driving down a freeway.  Before the roundabout, US 53 transitioned into a 2 lane rural roadway and the intersection was just a rural intersection.  A retail store was built in the area and developers wanted to develop the area, so a roundabout was built in anticipation of new development at the intersection.

In my opinion, I don't think it's a good idea to have a roundabout at the end of a high speed roadway since people don't expect to see a roundabout on a road signed at 65 mph in a rural setting. 





Here is an article on the recent improvements:
http://www.leadertelegram.com/News/Daily-Updates/2016/06/13/State-to-improve-U-S-53-roundabout.html

[coatimundi]

I'm guessing because people don't expect to see a roundabout while driving down a freeway

RIDICULOUS! Those damned distracted drivers!

Seriously, I would hope that this is the only example in the US. This is such a bad idea for so many reasons.

[bulldog1979]

The Marquette Bypass on US 41/M-28 is a 55 mph expressway that has a roundabout at its eastern end. In the future, there is supposed to be construction to convert the stop light at Grove Street to another roundabout and add a third roundabout to a new intersection that will be constructed to provide access to a new hospital that just started construction.

[peterj920]

The Marquette Bypass on US 41/M-28 is a 55 mph expressway that has a roundabout at its eastern end. In the future, there is supposed to be construction to convert the stop light at Grove Street to another roundabout and add a third roundabout to a new intersection that will be constructed to provide access to a new hospital that just started construction.

There's traffic signals on the Marquette Bypass and it isn't free flowing like US 53 is.  From Superior to that roundabout, a span of about 125 miles on US 53, traffic travels uninterrupted at 65-70 Mph speed limits. 

[mariethefoxy]

this happens a few times on Long Island

The North end of the Bethpage Parkway
The South end of the Wantagh Parkway
The South end of the Robert Moses Causeway
The east end of the Heckshier Parkway

all of them end in rotaries at the state parks they are designed to serve.

Also theres Route 128, the north end ends in a Rotary in Gloucester

[hotdogPi]

NH 16 and the Portsmouth Traffic Circle, although an option to I-95 is available.

[SignGeek101]

A few examples from me:

ON 406's south end.

A-73 (though that one will probably be extended south).
A-410, A-610 in Sherbrooke. They're spur routes off of A-10, but still freeways.

[tradephoric]

A roundabout at the terminus of US10 in Midland, MI was completed in July, 2014.  This mishap happened in December 2015:


Another roundabout at the terminus of M-5 in Commerce, MI was completed in 2011.  While technically not a freeway along this section, M-5 is a full-blown 8-lane boulevard signed at 55 mph just south of the roundabout.  In 2015, this roundabout was the most accident prone intersection in Michigan with 186 crashes, 54 more crashes than the second most accident-prone intersection.

http://www.theoaklandpress.com/general-news/20160606/report-commerce-township-intersection-had-most-crashes-of-2015

[AlexandriaVA]

German Autobahn (their Interstate) #8 (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundesautobahn_8) switches from a freeway to boulevard on the western edge of Munich, and the transition is done with the help of a roundabout. On the attached link to Google Maps, you can see the route coming in from the Northwest as a freeway, and after the circle it becomes Verdistrasse.

https://www.google.com/maps/@48.1664784,11.4553503,1023m/data=!3m1!1e3

Autobahn 8, as a freeway, continues on the southeast side of Munich.

[cpzilliacus]

Not exactly a freeway (more like an almost-Super-2), but the Md. 30 Hampstead Bypass in Carroll County has roundabouts at the south and north ends, and in the (rough) middle, at the only other access point, at Md. 482. 

[PurdueBill]

IN 25 isn't quite a freeway but is a 60-mph dual carriageway expressway until it approaches the roundabout at old 25 just north of I-65.  One could go continuously from US 35 NB east of Logansport onto 24/35 onto 25 SB staying on the same 60 mph dual carriageway until hitting the roundabout, so it is possibly a surprise, although the requisite warning signage is in place.

[hbelkins]

I-587.

[1995hoo]

How about something the A92 near Kirkcaldy? It's not signed as a motorway west of there, though it rides a lot like one. Heading east you see warning signs for a roundabout and then a BGS for the Redhouse Roundabout. The A92 continues as a dual-carriageway with at-grade intersections and a couple of more roundabouts until it becomes a two-lane road north of the roundabout at the A914 east towards St. Andrews.

https://goo.gl/maps/RctxPgQ1JCD2

[dvferyance]

IN 25 isn't quite a freeway but is a 60-mph dual carriageway expressway until it approaches the roundabout at old 25 just north of I-65.  One could go continuously from US 35 NB east of Logansport onto 24/35 onto 25 SB staying on the same 60 mph dual carriageway until hitting the roundabout, so it is possibly a surprise, although the requisite warning signage is in place.

I know this is kind of off topic but why are highways sometimes referred to as carriageways? Makes no sense to me we haven't had carriages since the days of my great grandparents.

[jakeroot]

How about something the A92 near Kirkcaldy? It's not signed as a motorway west of there, though it rides a lot like one. Heading east you see warning signs for a roundabout and then a BGS for the Redhouse Roundabout. The A92 continues as a dual-carriageway with at-grade intersections and a couple of more roundabouts until it becomes a two-lane road north of the roundabout at the A914 east towards St. Andrews.

https://goo.gl/maps/RctxPgQ1JCD2

Dual carriageways terminating at roundabouts are exceptionally common in the UK. If there wasn't already a rule, I'd suggest that the OP disqualify the UK (probably France as well) due to the high number of roundabouts in general.

Motorways that terminate at roundabouts include the M4, the M65, the M8 in Scotland, the M180, the M181, the M50, the M49; the list goes on and on and on.

If you just look at dual carriageways in general (70 mph unless posted otherwise), I mean...fuck, the vast majority (all?) end at roundabouts, or it becomes single carriageway. Without knowing for sure, I'd reckon the UK bans signals on dual carriageways, opting for roundabouts instead (which I think is just fine).

I know this is kind of off topic but why are highways sometimes referred to as carriageways? Makes no sense to me we haven't had carriages since the days of my great grandparents.

The carriageway is the roadway itself. There isn't really an equivalent in US English ("roadway" is the closest synonym I can think of), so many in the US have adopted the term "carriageway" to describe the road itself: single-carriageway means no center divider (generally one lane each direction). Dual-carriageways have a central reservation (err, median) separating the directions. The equivalent of "dual-carriageway" in US English is "divided highway". I can't think of a synonym for "single-carriageway".

[vdeane]

NY 590 ends at a roundabout.  We can count NY 85 as well (though it's only two lanes wide at that point, there aren't any intersections or driveways between there and when it becomes a four lane divided highway).  Also A-31.

A few examples from me:

ON 406's south end.

A-73 (though that one will probably be extended south).
A-410, A-610 in Sherbrooke. They're spur routes off of A-10, but still freeways.

While A-73 is ultimately planned to extend to Maine, I don't think MTQ is actually going to do it unless Maine decides to upgrade US 201 to a freeway.  While it would be logical to extend it to QC 173 at the southern end of Saint-Georges so that through traffic doesn't have to take a roundabout (pun not intended) route on QC 204, I don't think it's on MTQ's todo list.

A-410 is actually a stub diamond interchange without roundabouts on the ramps.  It's intended to extend east (to QC 108 east of Lennoxville), but who knows if/when that will happen.

[english si]

Motorways that terminate at roundabouts include the M4, the M65, the M8 in Scotland, the M180, the M181, the M50, the M49; the list goes on and on and on.

It's about 50-50 on ones that end at roundabouts and ones that don't.

If you just look at dual carriageways in general (70 mph unless posted otherwise), I mean...fuck, the vast majority (all?) end at roundabouts, or it becomes single carriageway. Without knowing for sure, I'd reckon the UK bans signals on dual carriageways, opting for roundabouts instead (which I think is just fine).

I believe it's roads above 50mph (and that might be inclusive), though exemptions are allowed - eg if there's some sort of physical thing that means traffic won't be doing the speed limit (eg signalised roundabouts)

The carriageway is the roadway itself.

yes - it doesn't include the pavements sidewalks

I can't think of a synonym for "single-carriageway".

Undivided highway?

[cl94]

I-587.

FTW. That roundabout is its only connection to the rest of the Interstate system.

NY 590 ends at a roundabout.  We can count NY 85 as well (though it's only two lanes wide at that point, there aren't any intersections or driveways between there and when it becomes a four lane divided highway).

ON 406's south end.

Beat me to these 4...

US 6 on Cape Cod
MA 28 in Bourne falls under the same category as NY 85

[RobbieL2415]

I-587.

This one takes the cake.  Western end is a rotary, eastern end is a signalized intersection.  Is it the only 3DI not to directly end at its parent?

[cl94]

I-587.

This one takes the cake.  Western end is a rotary, eastern end is a signalized intersection.  Is it the only 3DI not to directly end at its parent?

No. I-790 is another. Technically ends at Leland Avenue (NY 5). Getting to I-790 from I-90 requires going through a signalized intersection.

[vdeane]

While the freeway ends at Leland Ave, I think it's just NY 5 at that point, with I-790 taking the ramps to the Thruway (of course, that doesn't help the other direction; Region 2 really should have connected everything to the Thruway properly when they built the modern I-790).

[JCinSummerfield]

A roundabout at the terminus of US10 in Midland, MI was completed in July, 2014.  This mishap happened in December 2015

When did US-10 ever terminate in Midland, MI?  Current end is I-75 in Bay City.  Certainly no roundabout there.

[cl94]

While the freeway ends at Leland Ave, I think it's just NY 5 at that point, with I-790 taking the ramps to the Thruway (of course, that doesn't help the other direction; Region 2 really should have connected everything to the Thruway properly when they built the modern I-790).

Of course, that's debatable, as the end sign and last RM heading EB are well after the Thruway ramp departs.

[catch22]

A roundabout at the terminus of US10 in Midland, MI was completed in July, 2014.  This mishap happened in December 2015

When did US-10 ever terminate in Midland, MI?  Current end is I-75 in Bay City.  Certainly no roundabout there.

Probably meant to say Business US-10 here (just a guess on my part):

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.6113901,-84.2143007,17.5z

[7/8]

If we include super twos, then Waterloo Region has one. Hwy 85 goes from a four-lane divided highway to a super two, becoming RR 85. Then it meets a roundabout at RR 17 (with no intersections or interchanges along this segment).