Interchange Choreography

Complex interchanges colored by their connecting roads

Intersections of major roads have been given nicknames like “mixing bowl,” “spaghetti junction,” and “knot”—invoking images of tangled messes (and rightly so), but there's beauty in the chaos. Applying colors to roads and using connecting roads to blend those colors adds structure and breathes new life in to areas that are often avoided for their complexity. The results resemble everything from dancers to otherworldly creatures.

Interchange Choreography is a collection of complex interchanges of three or more roads. Hundreds of interchanges have been constructed with only two roads that are just as complex or more so than those with three or more. However, colors look more interesting with three or more roads so only those were included. Each line in a diagram was colored and refined manually without the use of code or other automation. Satellite photos of these and many more interchanges are available in the earlier Road Knots project.

How they were made »

Major roads Legend Minor roads

Colors are assigned by ranking desigations. Diagrams are arranged by size.
(Diagrams available for purchase as high-quality posters. Click each for details.)

Gothenburg, Sweden
E6 (Kungsbackaleden)
E20 (Alingsåsleden)
Redbergsvägen
Bauergsatan
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Écully, France
A6 (Autoroute du Soleil)
Boulevard Périphérique Nord
Avenue Victor Hugo
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Norfolk, Virginia, United States
I-264 (Downtown Tunnel/Berkley Bridge)
I-464 (SR 337)
West Berkley Avenue
State Street
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Odivelas, Portugal
A40/IC22
A8/A36/IC17 (CRIL)
Calçada de Carriche
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Paris, France
E15 (Boulevard Périphérique)
A4/E50/E54/N4 (Autoroute de l'Est)
Boulevards des Maréchaux/Pont National/Boulevard Poniatowski
D103/Quai de Bercy
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Varna, Bulgaria
A5/E87 (Highway "Cherno more")
Route 9 (bul. "Narodni buditeli")
Route 9004
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Bern, Switzerland
A1/E25/E27
Tiefenaustrasse
Neubrückstrasse
Studerstrasse
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Washington, DC, United States
I-66
US 50 (Constitution Avenue Northwest)
E Street Northwest/E Street Expressway
Rock Creek and Potomac Parkway Northwest
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Brunn am Gebirge, Austria
A21/E60 (Wiener Außenring Autobahn)
B12a (Brunner Straße)
Liebermannstraße
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Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong
Route 2 (Kwun Tong Bypass)
Route 7 (Lung Cheung Road)
Prince Edward Road East
Lung Cheung Road
Kwun Tong Road
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Arlington, Virginia, United States
I-66
George Washington Memorial Parkway
Route 50 (Arlington Boulevard)
Wilson Boulevard
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New York City, New York, United States
I-678 (Van Wyck Expressway)
Grand Cenral Parkway
Jackie Robinson Parkway
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Detroit, Michigan, United States
I-75 (Fisher Freeway)
I-96
Ambassador Bridge
Vernor Highway
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Santiago, Chile
Costanera Norte
Autopista Noroiente
Américo Vespucio
Viá Morada
Avenida Santa María
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İzmir, Turkey
D300
Mustafa Kemal Atatürk Boulevard
Mithatpaşa Caddesi
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Vienna, Austria
A22
A23
Donaustadtstraße
Am Kaisermühlendamm
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Providence, Rhode Island, United States
I-95
US 6 (Huntington Expressway)
Memorial Boulevard
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Beijing, China
S12
S50
G111
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Barcelona, Spain
B-20
C-58
B-10
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Brisbane, Australia
M7
M3/State Route 25 (Inner City Bypass)
A3/State Route 15 (Bowen Bridge Road)
Cambell Street
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Norfolk, Virginia, United States
I-264
SR 337 (Waterside Drive)
City Hall Avenue/Tidewater Drive
Market Street/St. Pauls Boulevard
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Alverca do Ribatejo, Portugal
A1/E1/E80/IP1
A9/IC18 (CREL)
N116/IP1
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Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong
Route 3 (Sing Kwai Highway)
Route 5 (Kwai Chung Road)
Route 7 (Ching Cheung Road)
Container Port Road South
Lai King Hill Road
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Saint Louis, Missouri, United States
I-44
I-55
Route 30 (Historic US 66/Gravois Avenue)
Lafayette Avenue
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Madrid, Spain
A-4 (Carretera de La Coruña/Autovia de Noroeste)
M-30 (Paseo Marqués de Monistrol)
Carretera de laDehesa de la Villa
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Perth, Australia
State Route 2 (Kwinana Freeway)
State Route 5 (Riverside Drive)
Mounts Bay Road
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Perth, Australia
State Route 2 (Mitchell Freeway)
State Route 8 (Graham Farmer Freeway)
State Route 60 (Charles Street)
State Route 61 (Loftus Street)
State Route 65 (Wellington Street)
Market Street
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Porto, Portugal
A41/IC24
VRI
Rua do Barreiro 135
Rua das Minhoteiras 70
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Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
I-264 (Norfolk Virginia Beach Expressway)
US 58 (Virginia Beach Boulevard/Laskin Road)
US 58 Bus. (Virginia Beach Boulevard)
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Guangzhou, China
S41 (Airport Expressway)
S303 (Huanan Expressway)
S114 (Guanghua 1st Road)
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Skärholmen, Sweden
E20 (Södertäljevägen)
Smistavägen
Vårbergsägen
Ekholmsvägen
Ekgårdsvägen
Skärholmsvägen
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Pine Bluff, Arkansas, United States
I-530
US 65 Bus.
AR 190 (East Harding Avenue)
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Birmingham, England
M6
A38(M) Aston Expressway
A5127
A38 (Tyburn Road)
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
E11 (Sheikh Zayed Road)
D61
Interchange No. 5
Ghweifat International Highway
Al Marsa Street
Al Naseem Street
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Thessaloniki, Greece
A1 (A/D PAThE/Egnatia Odos)
A2/E90 (Egnatia Odos)
Olimpou
Plastira
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Billings, Montana, United States
I-90/US 212
I-90 Bus.
Mullowney Lane
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Dubai, United Arab Emirates
E11 (Sheikh Rashid Road)
D83 (Al Rebat Street)
D70
5th Street
Festival Boulevard
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Cheadle, England
M56 (North Cheshire Motorway)
M60 (Manchester Outer Ring Road)
A34 (Kingsway)
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Ōyamazaki, Japan
Meishin Expressway
Keiji By-pass
Tanba-Ayabe Road
National Route 171
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Newark, New Jersey, United States
I-95 (New Jersey Turnpike
Eastern Spur)
US 1/US 9
Raymond Boulevard
Doremus Avenue
Blanchard Street
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Guangzhou, China
S81
S303 (Huanan Expressway)
S303 (Huanan Expressway Toll Road)
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Antwerp, Belgium
E34 (R1)
A112
N113
R10
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Taiyuan, China
G5/G20/G55/G2001 (Ginkun Expressway)
G108 (Taiyu Road)
Airport Special Line
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Cincinnati, Ohio, United States
I-71/US 50 (Fort Washington Way)
I-75/US 52
US 50/SR 264 (West 6th Street Expressway)
Central Avenue
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Portsmouth, Virginia, United States
US 58 (Martin Luther King Freeway/Western Freeway)
US 58
Railroad Avenue
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Louisville, Kentucky, United States
I-64
I-65
I-71
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Chesapeake, Virginia, United States
I-64/US 17 (Hampton Roads Beltway)
I-464/US 17/SR 168 (Oak Grove Connector)
US 17 (Dominion Boulevard North)
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Milan, Italy
A4/E64 (Torino-Trieste)
Autostrada dei Laghi
Svincolo Autostradale viale Certosa
Via Giovanni Battista Grassi
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Québec City, Québec, Canada
A-73 (Autoroute Henri-IV)
A-540 (Autoroute Duplessis)
Route 175 (Boulevard Lourier)
Avenue de Rochebelle
Boulevard Hochelaga/Rue Louis-Riel
Chemin Saint-Louis
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New Orleans, Louisiana, United States
I-10
US 90 Bus. (Pontchartrain Expressway)
US 90 (South Claiborne Avenue)
Poydras Street
West Stadium Drive/Dave Dixon Drive
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Budapest, Hungary
M0/E60/E71/E75 (Körgyűrű)
M51
Highway 51
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Guangzhou, China
S43 (Guangzhu West Expressway)
S81 (Guangzhou Ring Expressway)
S267 (Huadi South Avenue)
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Machelen, Belgium
E40
Léopold III Laan
R22
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East Hartford, Connecticut, United States
I-84/US 6 (Yankee Expressway)
Route 2 (Veterans of Foreign Wars Highway/Founders Bridge)
Governor Street
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Perth, Australia
State Route 4 (Tonkin Highway)
State Route 7 (Leach Highway)
Airport Drive
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Zagreb, Croatia
A1/E65
A3/E70
Jadranska Avenija
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Moscow, Russia
MKAD
M2/Varshavskoye Highway
MKAD 32 km
Varshavskoye Highway
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Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
I-20
North Spring Street
Market Street
Common Street/Line Avenue
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Newport News, Virginia, United States
I-664 (Hampton Roads Beltway)
US 60 (25th St./Martin L. King Jr. Way
26th St.
28th St.
Huntington Ave.
Warwick Blvd.)
SR 143 (Jefferson Av.)
26th St.
35th St.
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East Hartford, Connecticut, United States
I-84/US 6 (Yankee Expressway)
Route 15 (Wilbur Cross Highway)
Silver Lane
Roberts Street
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Carquefou, France
A11 (L‘Océane)
A811
D178
D37
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Suffolk, Virginia, United States
I-664 (Hampton Roads Beltway)
SR 164 (Western Freeway)
US 17 (Bridge Road)
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Sacavém e Prior Velho, Portugal
A1/E1/N541
A12/A36/IP1/E90 (Pte. Vasco de Gama)
A30/IC2
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New York City, New York, United States
I-95
I-278 (Bruckner Expressway)
I-295 (Cross Bronx Expressway)
I-678
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Auckland, New Zealand
SH 1 (Southern Motorway/Auckland-Kumeu Motorway)
SH 16 (North-Western Motorway)
Union Street/Pitt Street
Symonds Street
Wellesley Street East
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Caguas, Puerto Rico
PR-52 (Expreso Luis A. Ferré)
PR-30 (Expreso Cruz Ortiz Stella)
PR-1
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Calgary, Alberta, Canada
Highway 2 (Deerfoot Trail)
Anderson Road Southeast
15 Street Southeast
Bow Bottom Trail Southeast
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San Diego, California, United States
I-5
I-8
Camino Del Rio West
Morena Boulevard
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Madrid, Spain
A-4 (Autovia de Andalucia)
Av del Manzanares
Calle de Antonio López
Calle de Embajadores
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East Lansing, Michigan, United States
I-496
US 127
Towbridge Road
Kalamazoo Street
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Golden Glades/Miami Gardens/North Miami Beach, Florida, United States
I-95
Florida's Turnpike
SR 826 (Palmetto Expressway/NW 7th Avenue Extension)
US 441 (N State Road 7/NW 2nd Avenue/Northwest 7th Avenue)
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Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
I-94/US 52
I-35W
MN 55 (Hiawatha Avenue)
Southeast Washington Avenue (County Road 122)
13th Avenue South
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Shreveport, Louisiana, United States
I-20
I49
Murphy Street
Linwood Avenue
Lakeshore Drive
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Saint Catharines/Thorold, Ontario, Canada
Highway 58
Highway 406
Saint David's Road
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Auburn, Massachusetts, United States
I-90
I-290/I-395
Route 20 (Washington Street)
MA-12
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Johannesburg, South Africa
N3
N12
N17
M46
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Qingdao, China
G22 (Qinlan Expressway)
S61 (Qingdao Liuting Airport Expressway)
Huanwan Road
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Mexico City, Mexico
150D (Autopista Puebla-México)
57D (Circuito Exterior Mexiquense)
115 (Carr Federal México-Cuautla)
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Norfolk, Virginia, United States
I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway)
I-564 (Admiral Taussig Boulevard)
US 460 (Granby Street)
SR 165 (East Little Creek Road)
SR 406 (Termanal Boulevard)
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Cologne, Germany
A3
A4
A59
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Little Rock, Arkansas, United States
I-30/US 67
I-440
I-530/US 65/US 167
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Vienna, Austria
A2/A23/E59 (Süd Autobahn/Südosttangente)
Altmannsdorfer Ast/Südosttangente
Triester Straße
Sterngasse
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Istanbul, Turkey
E80 (İstanbul Çevre Yolu)
D020 (Hasdal Kemerburgaz Yolu)
Nurtepe Viyadüğü
Kemerburgaz Caddesi
Selvi Sokak
Selçuklu Caddesi
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Salvador, Brazil
BR-324
Ac. Norte/Av. Antônio Carlos Magalhães
Av. Barros Réis
Av. Heitor Dias
Av. Mario Leal Ferreira
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Saint Petersburg, Russia
A-118 (Koltsevaya Avtomobilnaya Doroga)
Western High-Speed Diameter
Dachnyy pr./Predportovaya ul.
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Halawa, Hawai'i, United States
H1 (Queen Lili'uokalani Freeway)
H3 (John A. Burns Freeway)
H201/Route 78 (Moanalua Freeway)
State Route 7241 (Kahuapā‘ani Street)
Ulune Extension
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Ramat HaSharon, Israel
Highway 5
Highway 20 (Ayalon Highway)
Highway 2 (Kvish HaHof/Derech Menachem Begin)
Aluf Me'ir Amit Boulevard
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Ratingen, Germany
A3
A52
A524
B1/B227 (Kölner Str.)
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Guangzhou, China
G45 (Daguang Expressway)
S41 (Airport Expressway)
G106 (106 National Road)
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Surabaya, Indonesia
Jalan Tol Surabaya-Porong
Jalan Tol Rurabaya-Mojokerto
Jalan Raya Taman/Jalan By Pass Waru
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Secaucus, New Jersey, United States
I-95 (New Jersey Turnpike)
NJ-3
NJ-495
Paterson Plank Road
Harmon Meadow Boulevard
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West Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
I-90 (Massachusetts Turnpike)
I-91
US 5 (Riverdale Street)
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Keasbey, New Jersey, United States
Garden State Parkway
NJ-440
US 9
Smith Street
Riverside Drive
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Newark, New Jersey, United States
I-78
US 1/US 9
US 22
Route 21
Brewster Road
Port Street
Frontage Road
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Ayutthaya, Thailand
Motorway 1 (Phahonyothin Road)
Motorway 9 (Bankok Western Outer Ring Road/Kanchanaphisek Road)
AH1/Route 32
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Shanghai, China
S20 (Outer Ring Expressway)
G50 (Huyu Expressway)
G318 (Huqingping Highway)
Yingbin 1st Road
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Hillside, Illinois, United States
I-88/Route 110 (Chicago-Kansas City Expressway)
I-290 (Dwight D. Eisenhower Expressway)
I-294 (Tri-State Tollway)
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Toulouse, France
A620/E80
A61/E9/E72
A623 (Avenue Pierre-George Latécoère)
D916
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Ramla, Israel
Highway 6 (Yitzhak Rabin Highway)
Route 431
Highway 44
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Shanghai, China
S20 (Outer Ring Expressway)
G60 (Hukun Expressway)
S4 (Hujin Expressway)
G320 (Humin Road)
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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Highway 401 (Macdonald-Cartier Freeway)
Highway 427
Highway 27
Eglinton Avenue West
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Los Angeles, California, United States
I-5 (Golden State Freeway)
I-10 (Santa Monica Freeway)
US 101 (Santa Ana Freeway)
SR-60 (Pomona Freeway)
South Soto Street
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Pomona, California, United States
I-10 (San Bernadino Freeway)
SR 57 (Orange Freeway)
SR 71 (Police Officer Daniel T. Fraembs Memorial Highway)
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Coquitlam, British Columbia, Canada
Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway)
Highway 7 (Lougheed Highway)
Highway 7B (Mary Hill Bypass)
United Boulevard
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Pearl City/Waipahu/Waipio, Hawai'i, United States
H1 (Queen Lili'uokalani Freeway)
H2 (Veterans Memorial Freeway)
Route 99 (Kamehameha Highway)
Farrington Highway
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Brandenburg, Germany
A10
A11
2n
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Atlanta, Georgia, United States
I-85/SR 403
I-285 (The Perimeter)
SR 14
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Barcelona, Spain
A-2/B-10/E-90 (Ronda Litoral/Autovia del Nord-Est)
B-20/C-32 (Ronda de Dalt)
C-31 (Avinguda Granvia)
Roundabout (West)
Roundabout (North)
Roundabout (South)
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Kerem Ben Shemen, Israel
Highway 1
Highway 6 (Yitzhak Rabin Highway)
Route 443
Route 444
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Chicago, Illinois, United States
I-90
I-190 (Kennedy Expressway)
I-294 (Tri-State Tollway)
North River Road
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Fort Worth, Texas, United States
I-30
I-35W
State Highway Spur 280
East Lancaster Avenue
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Naples, Italy
A1 (Autostrada del Sole)
A56 (Tangenziale di Napoli)
SP1
SP527
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Chesapeake, Virginia, United States
I-64 (Hampton Roads Beltway)
I-264
I-664 (Hampton Roads Beltway)
US 13/US 58 (West Military Highway/Airline Boulevard)
US 13/US 460 (South Military Highway)
US 460 (South & West Military Highway)
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Springfield, Virginia, United States
I-95
I-395 (Henry G. Shirley Memorial Highway)
I-495 (Capital Beltway)
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Santa Ana, California, United States
I-5
SR-22
SR-57
West La Veta Avenue
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Barendrecht, Netherlands
A15
A29
S103/Vaanweg
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Gliwice, Poland
A1 (Autostrada Bursztynowa)
A4/E40
National Road 44 (Pszczyńska)
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Burlington, Ontario, Canada
Queen Elizabeth Way
Highway 403 (Alexander Graham Bell Parkway)
Highway 407
Fairview Street/Plains Road East
Brant Street
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Ridderkerk, Netherlands
A15
A16/E19
A38
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Manchester, England
M60 (Manchester Outer Ring Road)
M61/Kearsley Spur
A580 (East Lancashire Road)
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Ans, Belgium
E25
E42
E40/A3
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Fort Worth, Texas, United States
SH 183 (Airport Freeway)
SH 360
SH 97 (International Parkway)
Frontage roads
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Salt Lake City, Utah, United States
I-15/I-80 (Veterans Memorial Highway)
I-80 (Lincoln Highway)
SR-201 (2100 South Freeway)
2100 South
900 West
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New Castle County, Delaware, United States
I-95/US 202
I-295 (Delaware Turnpike)
I-495
US 202/DE 141
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Kansas City, Missouri, United States
I-49/US 71
I-435
I-470/US 50
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Grapevine, Texas, United States
I-635 (Lyndon B. Johnson Freeway)
International Parkway
SH 114
SH 121
SH 26/SH 121 Frontage Roads
Grapevine Mills Parkway
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Denver, Colorado, United States
I-25/US 87
I-76
I-270/US 36 (Denver Boulder Turnpike)
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Novi, Michigan, United States
I-96/I-275
I-696 (Walter P. Reuther Freeway)
M-5 (Haggerty Connector)
Twelve Mile Road
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Manchester, Connecticut, United States
I-84/US 6
I-291
I-384
US 44
SR 502 (Spencer Street/Cemetary Road)
Buckland Street
Buckland Hills Drive/Pleasant Valley Road
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Poster of 120 interchanges

Includes the first 120 interchanges created.

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Press

The Surprising Beauty Of The World's Most Hellish Traffic Interchanges, May 10, 2016, Fast Co.Design
La beauté déroutante des spaghettis d'échangeurs, May 11, 2016, La boite verte
Colorful Cartography, May 11, 2016, Maps Mania
Quando gli svincoli autostradali sembrano coreografie, May 11, 2016, Frizzifrizzi
Deisgner Nicholas Rougeux untangles the world's spaghetti junctions, May 12, 2016, The Sydney Morning Herald
The unexpected beauty of road intersections - in pictures, May 13, 2016, The Guardian
Mesmerizing Maps of the World's Tangled Highway Interchanges, May 13, 2016, Slate, The Eye
Gallery | The beauty of interchanges, May 17, 2016, New Civil Engineer
See the world's most hellish traffic turned into beautiful art, May 26, 2016, Visual News
Creating beautiful art out of the complex interstate interchanges, August 7, 2016, The Virginian Pilot
Friday Favorite: Nicholas Rougeux, September 8, 2016, Mixed-Media Map Art
Map: Detroit Expressway Knots , September 19, 2016, DETROITography
Showcase and Longlist, September 21, 2016, Information is Beautiful Awards 2016
La danse des échangeurs autoroutiers, December 16, 2016, GeoTribu
Las intersecciones que desprenden belleza, March 7, 2017, OVACEN
La chorégraphie des échangeurs autoroutiers, June 11, 2017, Pacha cartographie
First place, poster competition, July 30, 2018, State of the Map 2018

Images are based on data © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL (Terms), CC-BY-SA.

Published May 8, 2016

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