Strange Interchanges

[vtk]

Fort Hayes interchange (I-71 / I-670) in Columbus:

http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Columbus,+Franklin,+Ohio&ll=39.975311,-82.98641&spn=0.01151,0.021865&t=k&z=16

This is actually a sort of Version 2 of this interchange, which explains the extreme bifurcation that puts a high school in the median of I-670.

Work on Version 3 starts this summer, reconfiguring EB I-670 and both directions of I-71 as part of the 70/71 project.

[formulanone]

The Golden Glades Interchange, northwest of Miami, Florida always looked like a battle between a giant squid and an enormous octopus:



From the Florida Photographic Archives (mid-1960s?).

[NE2]

Actually, before I-95, it was an almost-cloverleaf between SR 9 and the Turnpike, with the Turnpike roadway crossed at-grade by 826 west-441 north and 826 east-441 south (the southeast-side cloverleaf ramps intersected this roadway rather than the Turnpike connection). I haven't been able to find any top-down aerials (http://www.dot.state.fl.us/surveyingandmapping/apac.shtm has nothing from the right time period), and I can't remember what map I saw it on. But here are a few aerials from said archives:


looking northeast along SR 9; note remnants of the former at-grade between SR 9 and US 441 in the foreground


looking southwest along SR 9


looking south


looking north before the Turnpike existed (it was simply tied into the existing interchange)


looking northwest where the Turnpike began; US 441 north is to the right and SR 826 west to the left


Presumably the two bridges on the Turnpike connection over the railroad and SR 9 were reused in the new configuration, but the one taking a ramp over US 441 south was not.

[1995hoo]

I like the old speed limit sign in that last picture. When was it taken?

Here in Northern Virginia we still have a couple of "Do Not Enter" signs like the one on the far left using white text on a red background. Some of them are very new signs, too. VDOT uses them in the Shirley Highway express lanes where there's a ramp that accesses the opposite-direction mainline carriageway.

[NE2]

I like the old speed limit sign in that last picture. When was it taken?

1957. I'm not sure how to link to the details, but search http://www.floridamemory.com/photographiccollection/ for Golden Glades and it's #6.

[formulanone]

OT: Linking to exact picture information on the Florida Memory Photographic site isn't possible; you can hotlink the exact image, but not the info page, due to the way the query is performed.

Great site, everything is also effectively Creative Commons-licensed due to Florida's Sunshine Laws on by government employees or works for governmental purposes.

[Fcexpress80]

I'd like to nominate the I-84/I-205 interchange east of Portland, OR.  This interchange was made complicated by the fact the two expressways parallel each other for about one mile which creates crossovers/unders from one to the other over that mile.

[Stratuscaster]

Similar to the I-355/I-88 interchange just east of Lisle, IL...

[Brandon]

Similar to the I-355/I-88 interchange just east of Lisle, IL...

And I-290/I-294 near Elmhurst.

[geoffNOLA]

They have about 4 of them in New Orleans

Westbank Expy(US-90 BUS(I-910))/Terry Pkwy/Gen De Gaulle Dr:
http://bit.ly/kYh94N

Pontchartrain Expy(US-90 BUS(I-910))/Tchoupitoulas St
http://bit.ly/mN0aEz

US-90/US-90 BUS(I-910)/I-10/Poydras Ave/Superdome
http://bit.ly/jW4R6P

Pontchartrain Expy(I-10)/Carrollton Ave/Tulane Ave-Airline Dr(US-61)
http://bit.ly/kd4KwO

[Chicagosuburban]

There are plenty in Chicagoland (most of which have already been said) but ones that haven't been said include the I-290/US-20/York St interchange in Elmhurst, the I-55/I-294/Wolf Rd/Joliet Rd interchange, the I-80-94/Kennedy Ave interchange in Highland, but the winner for Chicagoland has to be the I-90/I-65/US-12-20/15th Ave interchange in Gary.

[Jerseyman4]

Strangest "freeway" and "non freeway" interchanges in the world would have to go to saavy Cuba! You can live inside the cloverleaf and gore areas! Any of the freeways leaving Havana are just fun to look at on Google.

[Lightning Strike]

Not sure if this counts but US130 & NJ168 Mt. Ephraim
Might have to insert labels to see how the interchange works. I used to drive through it all the time when I lived in NJ. Definitely wins in my book for unusual/interesting.

[roadman65]

I-4 and South Street in Downtown Orlando, FL is now strange.  The WB only ramp from I-4 WB to WB South Street was closed when the new Amway Center was being constructed as South Street was closed to build both the arena and parking garage between Garland and Division Avenues.  The ramp is in between the two streets and had to be closed then.

Now the Amway Center is open and so is South Street, however the WB Ramp from I-4 was never re-opened when construction finished.  FDOT took down the signs for Exit 83 and South Street and placed a jersey barrier across the ramp months after the Amway Center opened.  The funny thing is the fact that the entrance to the Geico Garage (when the spectators park for all Amway events) is on South Street just west of I-4 where that ramp would help get motorists in to the parking facility with total ease!  Now you have to exit onto Anderson Street then turn right to Division Avenue, Right on Division to South Street, then right onto South into the Garage.

Years ago, the South Street ramp was useless, and signed poorly by FDOT due to the fact it had no real purpose to any motorists.  Now that the ramp finally serves a purpose, it is closed.  Go figure!

[roadfro]

Not sure if this counts but US130 & NJ168 Mt. Ephraim
Might have to insert labels to see how the interchange works. I used to drive through it all the time when I lived in NJ. Definitely wins in my book for unusual/interesting.

Well, it's not an interchange, but definitely an unusual intersection. It looks like it has elements of a continuous flow intersection.

[iBallasticwolf2]

This interchange has an extra long ramp
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0405591,-84.4667161,17z

This interchange is extremely strange with an abnormal configuration

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1156898,-84.4995141,18z

[bugo]

This one in Paris, TX at US 271 and TX Loop 286

https://www.google.com/lochp?ll=33.647332,-95.502305&spn=0.008574,0.019248&t=k&z=16

[amroad17]

This interchange has an extra long ramp
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0405591,-84.4667161,17z

This interchange is extremely strange with an abnormal configuration

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1156898,-84.4995141,18z

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area is filled with strange interchanges, e.g. Ronald Reagan (Cross County) and I-75, Reed Hartman and Reagan, Turfway and I-75 (northbound, a diamond; southbound, exit and entrance ramps acting like a trumpet), your second example of Reading Road northbound in the median of I-71, and, using your first example, the long exit ramp from I-275 east to Three Mile Road--also known as the Northern Kentucky University exit (the back way).

[bugo]

Not to mention all of the odd interchanges on the IDL in Tulsa. My favorite is the one on the northeastern corner.

[iBallasticwolf2]

This interchange has an extra long ramp
https://www.google.com/maps/@39.0405591,-84.4667161,17z

This interchange is extremely strange with an abnormal configuration

https://www.google.com/maps/@39.1156898,-84.4995141,18z

The Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky area is filled with strange interchanges, e.g. Ronald Reagan (Cross County) and I-75, Reed Hartman and Reagan, Turfway and I-75 (northbound, a diamond; southbound, exit and entrance ramps acting like a trumpet), your second example of Reading Road northbound in the median of I-71, and, using your first example, the long exit ramp from I-275 east to Three Mile Road--also known as the Northern Kentucky University exit (the back way).

Not to mention the interchange with I-75 and I-71 right after the Brent Spence bridge on the Ohio side, as well as I-71 and OH-562

[Zeffy]

I-78 at Exit 29 and I-287 at Exit 21A-B in Bedminister, New Jersey. On I-78, traffic is actually dumped onto the original I-287, not I-287 directly (outer roadway). This happens for quite a while until half a mile from exit 14. Exit 14 is a left exit, so you have to do a tight weave onto US 22 or US 202/206. This interchange is near another incomplete interchange too, the US 22 and US 202/206 interchange to the west, and exits 17 and 14 to the south. So basically, I-287 is scrunched and tight weaves happen for the next 7 miles along I-287. I-287 when it reaches exit 21 however, gets a direct connection to I-78 from the left. It's awful when having to take that exit. I-78 pretty much loses and takes quite a while to merge into the main carriageway of I-287. It's gonna be worse further south. 

This is why I heavily prefer to take US 22 off of I-78 when I'm coming from the western portions of the state - so I don't have to deal with that mess. The signals on 22 are timed decently enough too, though the frequency of patrol cars lurking means I can't always go above the speed limit.

[TEG24601]

I've always loved the Interchange between I-5, I-405, US 26, OR-99W, and OR-43.  It is like a gigantic round about connected via surface streets to other roadways, and partially screwed up due to removal of Harbor Drive.


https://www.google.com/maps/place/Portland,+OR/@45.4999354,-122.6724839,731m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m2!3m1!1s0x54950b0b7da97427:0x1c36b9e6f6d18591!6m1!1e1

[NE2]

I-78 at Exit 29 and I-287 at Exit 21A-B in Bedminister, New Jersey. On I-78, traffic is actually dumped onto the original I-287, not I-287 directly (outer roadway).

Eh? I thought all four roadways were built simultaneously (to avoid weaving between the 78-287 and 78-202 movements).

[jakeroot]

I've always loved the Interchange between I-5, I-405, US 26, OR-99W, and OR-43.  It is like a gigantic round about connected via surface streets to other roadways, and partially screwed up due to removal of Harbor Drive.

There's also the Paper Clip interchange between I-5 and OR-99E:

[noelbotevera]

I-78 at Exit 29 and I-287 at Exit 21A-B in Bedminister, New Jersey. On I-78, traffic is actually dumped onto the original I-287, not I-287 directly (outer roadway).

Eh? I thought all four roadways were built simultaneously (to avoid weaving between the 78-287 and 78-202 movements).

Oh. I thought the outside roadway was the original I-287 cause there's no pavement markings. If there is no or fading white pavement markings I usually think it's an old alignment. Stupid me