A roundabout interchange is a type of interchange between a controlled access highway such as a motorway or freeway, and a minor road, in which the slip roads to and from the motorway carriageways converge at a single roundabout, which is grade-separated from the motorway lanes with bridges. A roundabout interchange is similar to a rotary interchange, which uses a rotary rather than a roundabout. Roundabouts may also be used in conjunction with other interchange types such as a standard or folded diamond interchange, though such use should not be confused with a roundabout interchange.
Roundabout interchanges are extremely common in the United Kingdom, with hundreds on the motorway network alone. However, recent cost-cutting has meant that "dumbbell interchange" are increasingly used instead. These are essentially diamond interchanges with roundabouts instead of signals or stop signs where the slip roads meet the minor road. They are cheaper than roundabout interchanges as only one bridge is required instead of two. Roundabout interchanges are much less common in North America, but have been built more frequently since 1995, to improve safety, and to reduce traffic delays and bridge widening costs. However, and conversely, many of the older and more dangerous rotary-style overpass interchanges have been signalized to improve throughput and safety, such as the Drum Hill Rotary in the New England state of Massachusetts, where such interchanges are unusually commonplace.
A "divided diamond," where the minor road is separated into four intersections, rather than two, also acts like a roundabout interchange, however is more square in shape, and typically has traffic light control.
Read more about Roundabout Interchange: Examples, Three-level Stacked Roundabout
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