The Magic Roundabout

I've been looking for some good shots of this for a while, now while its not a car it should be of interest.

Inmy hometown of Swindon we have what is one of the most complicated roundabout systems ever, it consists of a central roundabout surrounded by five smaller roundabout at each of the junctions



Now, how much fun does that look; I lived for seven years on Shrivenham Road, which is the top right exit.

You can find more pictures here

The Magic Roundabout

It may be hard to believe but this actually works very well, the traffic flows even when very heavy and its not as complicated as it looks.

The fun is for the learner driver, take you're driving test in Swindon (as I did) and every possiable test route crosses it at least once (and upto four times).

Regards

Scaff

blimey that looks hectic

stumpydino

blimey that looks hectic

Click to expand...

Its great fun, as I say lived just off it for seven years and still drive over it on my way to/from work.

It used to be just one big roundabout, and that apparently just caused massive traffic jams. This one does scare the hell out of people new to Swindon.

Regards

Scaff

It doesnt actually look that bad.

Its a work of genious really. Very well done.

At first glance, it looks impossibly odd and dangerous, but the more you look, the more sense it makes.

Nice idea.

Ooh, I'd propably get trapped in there!

Just kidding. It looks very well designed!

That GPS Drawing site is hilarious. Some people really need a new hobby...

Well I suppose if you get used to that roundabout, every other roundabout is a piece of cake

I was lucky on my driving test as I got to do a reasonable stretch of dual carridgeway driving on a road I knew well, a nice time waster Had a couple of busy (but uncomplicated) roundabouts, but I knew those well too. Annoyed me when the examiner told me a turning far too late (hence relatively sudden braking and a quick turn in the wet... I guess thats where all the minors came from but it was his fault!) shortly after I had just pulled onto 60mph road with a blind crest and of course I was flooring the poor little crap diesel clio.

The Magic Roundabout consists of five clockwise mini roundabouts in a ring.
There is also an outer clockwise roundabout and an inner anticlockwise roundabout,
perhaps one of the only places in UK where such a structure will be found.

As you approach the roundabout it becomes apparent that there are a number
of ways of getting to your destination:

You can take the first exit at the first mini roundabout and join the middle
lane towards the second mini roundabout, whereupon you take the second exit.
Repeat this until you are approaching the desired exit mini roundabout,
join the left hand lane and take the first exit. In effect you are orbiting the
outer clockwise roundabout.

Alternatively you can counter-revolve the inner roundabout by taking the
second exit at the first roundabout, and continue taking the first exit in
the left hand lane. To leave you need to get into the right hand lane and
take the second exit.

You can stay on the magic roundabout indefinitely with careful use of the
third exit - treating pairs of roundabouts and their conjoining traffic
islands as roundabouts in themselves.

Arrrghhhhhh!!! My head hurts.

Thats quite cool!

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