Saturday, December 25, 2010

The Magic Roundabout


It may be saying something negative about the town if its most notable feature is a traffic junction, but the Magic Roundabout is truly a wonder of the world. And by “wonder” I don’t mean “wow” I mean “I wonder why they built such a stupidly complex junction”.

You see, the Magic Roundabout is in fact 5 small roundabouts surrounding one large centre roundabout. For the benefit of our non-British visitors I shall do my very best to explain.

5574043524071276578
In the U.K. we drive on the left hand side of the road, so on approach to a roundabout you give way to traffic coming from the right hand side. You then go clockwise around the roundabout, exiting where you see fit.

The Magic Roundabout complicates matters in that the moment you leave one roundabout you are at the junction of another. So, by aiming right on each roundabout you would actually traverse the central roundabout in an anti-clockwise manner. At least that’s the idea.

5574043524721039522

5574043457366805314

5574043447808361362

5574043436685183890

5574043439535066498

5574043433727598658

5574043251251240514

5574043247729680530

5574043240175055490

5574043237658632834

5574043235060014386

5574043120902816658

5574043113002058130

5574043109856412834

5574043108033711298

5574043104073302482

5574042810539603314

5574042806507264754

5574042796095209602

5574042787732552850

5574042786727923298