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.
This article includes a list of roads, streets, highways, or other routes that are associated with the same title. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.