Spaghetti junction is a nickname sometimes given to a complex or massively intertwined road traffic interchange that is said to resemble a plate of spaghetti. Such interchanges may incorporate a variety of interchange design elements in order to maximize connectivity.
Etymology
The term was originally used to refer to the Gravelly Hill Interchange on the M6 motorway in Birmingham, United Kingdom.[1] In an article published in the Birmingham Evening Mail on 1 June 1965 the journalist Roy Smith described plans for the junction as "like a cross between a plate of spaghetti and an unsuccessful attempt at a Staffordshire knot", with the headline above the article on the newspaper's front page, written by sub-editor Alan Eaglesfield, reading "Spaghetti Junction".[2][3][4] Since then many complex interchanges around the world have acquired the nickname.
Throughout North America, this type of interchange is widely referred to as a spaghetti junction, mixing bowl, knot, or maze, often including the name of the freeway, city, or notable landmark near enough to the interchange.
Thapama Interchange at the junction of A1 / Blue Jacket Street and A3 in Francistown.[6][7]
Canada
Alberta
The interchange of Deerfoot Trail, Bow Bottom Trail, Anderson Road and 15 Street SE in Calgary. Maps were published in local newspapers to assist drivers with navigating the complex interchange when it opened in 1982.
Ontario
The interchange between Bloor Street, Dundas Street, and Kipling Avenue in Toronto's west end, officially known as the Six Points Interchange, but often referred to as the "Spaghetti Junction".[8] This interchange was demolished and reconfigured between 2019 and 2021 to become at-grade junctions.[9]
Gravelly Hill Interchange, which the phrase "Spaghetti Junction" originated from, is the five-level intersection of the M6 motorway (Junction 6), A38(M) motorway, A38 road and A5127 road above a railway line, three canals and a river in Birmingham.[1] The phrase comes from the birds-eye view of the road, with the roads interconnecting.
Reno Spaghetti Bowl, the interchange of I-80, I-580 and US 395 in Reno, which also includes access to/from Battle Born Way (formerly Kietzke Lane) and East 4th Street and Prater Way in Sparks.
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