MetaChat - I find

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01 March 2006

I find highway onramps and offramps to be oddly fascinating.

post by: puke & cry at: 00:23 | 24 comments

I couldn't take it anymore. So I left.

posted by Eideteker 01 March | 00:33

That looks like a damn mess. And yet, nice.

posted by puke & cry 01 March | 00:43

Beautiful.

posted by knave 01 March | 00:44

This is a big mess.

posted by puke & cry 01 March | 00:51

One of many reasons why I avoid the Eastside.

posted by bmarkey 01 March | 00:58

The ones in the fpp are all near my house. The first one is the nearest.

posted by Doohickie 01 March | 01:15

That's because I live right next to you.

posted by puke & cry 01 March | 01:25

oh yeah

You do, don't you?

I'm over near I35W & 20.

posted by Doohickie 01 March | 02:07

This one in my hometown is in many (slightly old) dictionaries next to the definition of cloverleaf. Seriously.

These three seem like the result of a civil engineer on acid. Naturally they're all within five miles or so of each other.

posted by kyleg 01 March | 03:58

How come the cars are all on the wrong side of the road?

posted by dg 01 March | 07:46

This one always fascinates me when I drive through it. I actually think there have been more flyovers built since the sat photo was taken. It is unbelievable how high the flyovers are, stacked one on top of the other.

Woe to you if you don't know ahead of time which way you're going.

posted by mike9322 01 March | 07:54

I was reading about this just the other day. They are strangely beautiful.

M6 J6

posted by flopsy 01 March | 08:35

Cleveland has some nice ones

posted by ubersturm 01 March | 09:04

Yep, more flyovers. That is insane.

posted by mike9322 01 March | 09:07

I'm over by 20 and 360.

posted by puke & cry 01 March | 09:38

bmarkey, I used to work right next to that one.

Now I work here, which isn't as bad.

posted by matildaben 01 March | 10:10

Too cool.

posted by mike9322 01 March | 10:36

I just went through this the other day.

I love those ramps that come from 90 southbound (start at upper left) to the Stevenson eastbound. You think you're gonna merge -- but no! You have to take that last little curve under the flyovers.

The radio guys call this the spaghetti bowl.

Then there's this ....

(Actually in Chicago the signage is usually pretty good. It's Milwaukee where I got lost last month -- navigating for other people on our way to a concert. All because there were two ways to get over to 94 westbound. OH SNAP!)

posted by stilicho 01 March | 14:45

Uh, turned here (left exit ramp), instead of here (left exit ramp).

Where I'm living, though, we have this by-the-book cloverleaf -- but this half-cloverleaf (paired with the one a little to the NW) has been radically simplified to a diamond style with traffic lights.

And you may want to read Kurumi's Field Guide to Interchanges -- yes, a MeFite. The state of the art in interchanges these days is the SPUI.

posted by stilicho 01 March | 14:54

sweet, thanks for the links guys.

posted by puke & cry 01 March | 15:06

How do you feel about Knotted interchanges?

posted by Wolfdog 01 March | 16:09

Here's the Hillside Strangler, near Chicago.

posted by sisterhavana 01 March | 16:09

I'm marking this as my favorite MeCha thread. I think they're beautiful. :D

posted by chewatadistance 01 March | 16:50

The engineering used in freeways is fascinating. I can see why people want to get into that line of work.

posted by deborah 01 March | 17:08

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