Happy Fiftieth, Gravelly Hill!

Yes, it celebrates its 50 Birthday today, 'twas said on the News this morning.

Britain's most complicated road junction - Gravelly Hill Interchange, on the M6 just North of Birmingham. ("Interchange" is only its designers' pretentious term for what the rest of us call a "junction", in this country!)

Not heard of it?

Try its colloquial name, from a simile coined by a reporter: Spaghetti Junction.

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Dacrowman · 70-79, M

@ArishMell ever been to Hemel Hempstead and it's magic roundabout , if not try Google maps

Jacko1971 · 51-55, M

@Dacrowman Swindon an High Wicome also have magic roundabouts.

ArishMell · 70-79, M

@Dacrowman No, but I have managed to negotiate the Swindon one without mishap!

Last year I made several trips to a village near Gloucester. The road un-designers there took an ordinary but large roundabout on the road from the motorway, put a straight-across lane on it then sprinkled it with traffic-lights. It's fine if you are local and can explore it in quiet conditions in daylight, and learn which of umpteen lanes is which. Coming across it cold, after dark, as I was, it's so confusing I decided it would be safer though slower and add perhaps twelve miles to the journey, to drive to the next M5 junction and approach my destination from Tewkesbury!

Jacko1971 · 51-55, M

I've round that a few times. It's not complicated once you are on it.

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