The Roadgeeks of Simtropolis

[MandelSoft 2,775]

The Roadgeeks of Simtropolis

Welcome to the Roadgeek-topic of Simtropolis. I know for certain there are more roadgeeks like me here in this community; In various threads of this section and in CJs I've seen some very interresting work with interchanges, road layouts and some subjects about roads in Real Life. So maybe it's time to centralise things in one thread.

Here you can show all of our favorite and inspirational roads, highways, freeways from real life. Pictures, videos, you name it! Also, discussions about road-related subjects (construction projects, planning, signage, traffic) are also welcome here. For a start, I'll show you some of my pictures from November of the German Autobahn I made:

A1, Osnabrück-Hamburg

Kreuz Lotte-Osnabrück, seen from the A30.

Quite some Autobahns have a concrete plate surface. If you really watch closely, you see they are numbered. The values are completely sychronous with the kilometrage

An signage oddity: the A252 is up ahead, but it isn't signaged. Moreover, it's only signaged as the B4/75. The A253 is also never signaged.

I've only seen this sign portal construction near Eastern Hamburg:

A7, Hamburg

Autobahns and lights, a rare combination... (I also LOVE catenary lights!)

Congestion near the Elbetunnel:

The entrance of the Elbetunnel:

A large bridge in the harbour of Hamburg is showing itself through the mist...

... it's all clogged up...

This road looks so industrial. Also, German signage FTW!

In Germany, all roads lead to Ausfahrt

Germans tend to build their interchanges really tight! You can only drive with 40 km/h on this ramp (and I wouldn't recommend to drive any faster...)

In and around Hamburg

Oddly specific...

Look at that! The railway goes ON the road deck on this bridge!

A253

Driving on the B5 in the evening...

Here we have the A7 again...

Germans can also do odd things with their road markings; these are four-lane two-way roads:

Well, that's it for today!

Best,

Maarten

[Jazzmaster 716]

Nice thread here, it seems a bit familiar.

I remember visiting folks in Sweden last year and seeing the roadways, and they weren't nearly as complicated as the Interstates here, at least not the stuff I saw. But I'm sure there's some great stuff across Scandinavia for roadgeeks of all kinds.

I too am a bit of a roadgeek, I've always been fascinated by all the infrastructural things like architecture, railroads, airports and of course roads/highways. I was digging around on my hard drive for some things and found this shot of an interchange in Chicago taken in 2009, taken from the Sears Tower Skydeck. It's where I-90/94 intersect I-290 right near downtown. Definitely inspirational for RHW interchange building and such:

[TekindusT 3,809]

I too am a bit of a roadgeek, I've always been fascinated by all the infrastructural things like architecture, railroads, airports and of course roads/highways.

We definately have to invent a name for a "geek of everything suitable for transport". I'm interested in cars, trucks, roads, highways, planes, airports, ships, seaports, trains, railroads, stations... If it moves, then it's cool!

The highway numbering has been quite a surprise, I had never heard about it. Germans aren't one of the most advanced countries just by chance!

I have no pics made by myself, I definately need to go out there and carry my camera with me to show you stuff.

[nathanthemayor 1,263]

Ahhh what an interesting thread....

I'm a roadgeek(I.e I like to photograph signs, watch for any new ones, etc.),although not as much as some other people.

Yep, that was CA-99 before:

Now:

Future:

I'll try to get more photos of signs and interchanges that inspire me.

  Edited December 16, 2011 by nathanthemayor  

[figgy 10]

Yoshiisland... that picture is almost actually pretty?

This is one of my favs... The M50/M1/N32 junction in Dublin (The M50 is the bottom and right, the M1 to the left)

[FreewayofFlight 41]

When I was living in Ohio, these signals were popping up all over the rural areas. I love how they look with the yellow reflective trim! I tend to favor black painted traffic lights over yellow ones.

In South Carolina, where I live, these double-red left turn signals are the standard for a protected single-lane left turns. Newer signals use red arrows instead of the solid red ball.

[mittfh 7]

In the UK there's an entire community of road geeks called SABRE (Society of All British Road Enthusiasts)... I've occasionally participated in the forum there but I'm not geeky enough on the subject to warrant spending significant amounts of time there.

Oh, and to avoid performing necromancy on the "cool interchanges" thread, one of the members has produced this guide to common interchange types (the three level stacked roundabout is as common as muck over here)

[MandelSoft 2,775]

In the UK there's an entire community of road geeks called SABRE (Society of All British Road Enthusiasts)... I've occasionally participated in the forum there but I'm not geeky enough on the subject to warrant spending significant amounts of time there.

I'm part of the dutch equivalent of SABRE, called Wegenforum.nl. probably we share the same interest

Oh, and to avoid performing necromancy on the "cool interchanges" thread, one of the members has produced this guide to common interchange types (the three level stacked roundabout is as common as muck over here)

LOL! I know all the dutch names of those:

• Diamond Interchange - Haarlemmermeeraansluiting
  
• Dumbell Interchange - Haarlemmermeeraansluiting met rotondes/kluifrotonde
  
• (Two-level) Roundabout Interchange - Verkeersplein met doorgaande weg
  
• Directional T-Interchange - Halve Turbine/ Halve Ster
  
• Trumpet - Trompet
  
• Cloverleaf - Klaverblad
  
• Four-level Stack - Ster
  
• Partially Unrolled Cloverleaf - Klaverturbine(?)
  
• Three-Level Stacked Roundabout - Verkeersplein met Zwevende Rotonde
  
• Whirlpool - Windmolen/Turbine
  

Most of these interchanges are also covered in the RHW Interchange Guide over at SC4D. Not all interchanges can be build due to the lack of a Multi-height system at the moment, such as the stack-interchanges and the Three-level roundabout. I actually miss the very common partial cloverleaf in the list. This one is especially popular in Germany...

Best,

Maarten

[mittfh 7]

Well, the 3LSR can theoretically be done on two levels (even with standard Maxis highways) - albeit with a rollercoaster ride of a roundabout, which by necessity would have to be fairly large to accommodate the NAM ramps from ground level (under the one highway) to bridge it over the other highway

You could even do something approximating the bizzare Great Barr roundabout, where both sets of sliproads are attached to the same part of the roundabout (either because the housing had already been built and there wasn't enough room to squeeze in the sliproads on the Western side of the roundabout, or because in their correct location they'd be too close to the sliproads for the M5).

[AIX 270]

I am not sure if I would rise up to the title "Road Geek", but I do like highways and transportation infrastructure. Here are a few that I have traveled (images courtesy of Wikimedia Commons):

Steel Bridge, Portland, Oregon -

Constructed in 1912, this bridge is now 100 years old and still going strong! It is double decker with freight/passenger heavy rail on the bottom and street and lightrail transit on the top. The lower deck can be lifted independently of the top deck allowing ships to pass without disrupting street traffic. Also, this engineering marvel is one of few places on Earth where a car, plane, train, boat, and pedestrian can occupy the same vertical space simultaneously.

The Freemont Bridge

Built in the 1970s, this bridge carries Interstate 405 and US 30. The top deck provides stunning views of the city. It also hosts the annual Providence Bridge Pedal, a bike ride for charity, that offers the rare chance to get this view without being in a car. Image below is during the bridge pedal.

St John's Bridge

Yes, I am a bridge freak xD. Built in the 1930s, this beauty was recently restored.

Moving out of Portland now...

Eisenhower and Johnson Tunnels

These twin bores carry Interstate 70 through the Continental Divide at over 11,000 feet above sea level. This is in my home state of Colorado. The first bore was completed in 1973 and the second in 1979 and was among the last pieces of the US Interstate system to be completed. It also has the distinction of being the highest part of the Interstate System.

Edit: Some more trivia: The construction of this tunnel flared up debate during the women's rights movement. Janet Bonnema applied to work in digging the tunnel and was hired because her name was misread. Most of the workers who had been miners thought a woman entering the tunnel would be "bad luck". Nonetheless, she persevered and begun working on the project in 1972.

That's all for now, folks!

  Edited April 12, 2012 by AIX  

[Zodicus 34]

This is a picture of the I10/Beltway 8 Diamond about 1 mile from my house on the west side of houston.

When P59 gets released I plan on building this interchange for my new CJ that is in it's planning stages. I10 is the main corridor from W to E through Houston and Beltway 8 is currently the outer loop around Houston. Beltways in Texas are toll roads. This particular interchange gets jammed up around 0630 and stays that way untill 1000. This is because the exit lanes from I10 are 2 lanes but split off to 1/1 for the ramps. I would like to build a 3 lane exit with 1 lane each going N and S bound with the middle lane having both N and S bound access. Just an idea.

I too, as some of you may know am a road geek. I am a truckdriver by trade and travel all across the USA. I have seen first hand some of the best and worst interchanges out there. I know the importance of having a well designed interchange and will build my cities accordingly.

[robloxkiller 25]

this is the I-110 drawbridge

the interchange looks like its going into the sea

  Edited October 1, 2012 by robloxkiller  

[urbanconstanta 36]

Agigea Bridge, here in Constanta.

[Durfsurn 539]

Gotta love me some roadgeekery! I knew I wasn't the only one! As a kid I used to read the Melways (The Melbourne Street Map) for fun studying the interchanges! As google maps is my best friend!

[Haljackey 17,398]

While I don't consider myself a roadgeek, I am interested in roads and highway stuff.

I also take some photos of roads for encyclopedic interests (like Wikipedia) and also do some timelapse driving videography.

In fact I just made one yesterday. If you like it I have some others on my Youtube account.

[Durfsurn 539]

My favourite interchange I've driven on is the M1-M3/Eastlink stack interchange. I've got two pics guess which one is from Apple Maps

  Edited October 3, 2012 by durfsurn  

[Haljackey 17,398]

Pretty interesting: visited the Highway 401 'lane doubling' project today in Mississauga... these are my pics: http://www.dropbox.c...36v1/4-MyPtLO09

[data7 98]

How to rebuild old, Soviet styled express road into modern, Euro styled express road in dense residential district in Warsaw, Poland?

I think that's rather interesting

Still under construction...

Maybe it will inspire someone to make these glass half-tunnels for RHW into the SC4?

[MandelSoft 2,775]

Oooh, exquisite! That looks awesome!

[__A 792]

My favourite interchange I've driven on is the M1-M3/Eastlink stack interchange. I've got two pics guess which one is from Apple Maps

Oooh I live closeby to that interchange though I don't usually go through it

I prefer the West Gate Freeway one in the city with those arches <3

[Durfsurn 539]

I live quite close to that intersection! Rather better than what was there before!

[__A 792]

Also this, a sound tube in Melbourne similar to what data7 showed us. The tube is along the Tullamarine Fwy I think and that links the Airport with the city. It was designed to block noise because its situated near a residential area and housing commission buildings.

Another thing along the Tullamarine Fwy is:

If I'm not wrong the yellow one is meant to be like a cheese-stick whereas the red ones are meant to be like a rack of ribs

[Durfsurn 539]

You would be correct for the second pic. Here is a comparison between the 1969 Melbourne Transport Plan and the Freeways of about 2008/09:

Also here's a different view of those arches!

[TekindusT 3,809]

@mystic_destiny: I know a bunch of places in my area that could use that system, places where blocks of flats were built almost above the highways...

[Patricius Maximus 236]

Hmm...I just now found this thread, and I consider myself to be a Simtropolis Roadgeek, so count me in .

[__A 792]

TekindusT: I wish we had more of those sound tubes... Unfortunately we lack in elevated freeways/tollways

  Edited October 18, 2012 by mystic_destiny  

[MandelSoft 2,775]

I've found it: one of the very few German left-hand exits:

(photo taken by me )

The actual exit:

Best,

Maarten

[TekindusT 3,809]

Also a rare sight in my area... This is the only one I can think of:

Aren't left-handed exits a no-no in highway planning?

[kj3400 178]

This has been up for a year and I just now see it D:

Aren't left-handed exits a no-no in highway planning?

Well technically yes, but oftentimes lack of space or interchange design dictates the need for using one.

Maryland has plenty of left exits, so they're no stranger to me

[Danlikebooks 6]

The bridges of Cincinnati, Ohio! Cincinnati proper has five road bridges (2 of them interstates, 3 road bridges), one pedestrian bridge, and several railroad bridges connecting it to the cities of Newport and Covington in Kentucky. They range from classically beautiful to beautifully complex to ugly and industrial. Here are the highlights:

John A. Roebling Bridge

Completed in 1867, this bridge over the Ohio River is the oldest suspension bridge in the country. John A. Roebling, the desginer and namesake of this bridge, went on to design the Brooklyn Bridge in NYC. It originally carried horses and pedestrians but has since been rehabilitated to a two lane road bridge (no trucks).

Brent Spence Bridge

Completed in 1963, this double decker bridge carries Interstates 71 and 75 over the Ohio River. The top deck carries four lanes south, the bottom deck carries four lanes north. It was declared functionally obsolete a few years into it's existence due to it's poor visibility, no emergency lanes, and the fact that it carries nearly 150,000 more cars and trucks than it was built to hold per day. Ohio and Kentucky are currently planning a replacement bridge, but it will not be completed before 2020. Having been personally nearly rear-ended numerous times on this bridge while driving, I can attest to it's lack of safety. Fun fact: this bridge was opened within a week of President John F. Kennedy's assassination and it was almost renamed after him in his honor

Daniel Carter Beard "Big Mac" Bridge

Completed in 1977, this iconic yellow arch bridge carries Interstate 471 over the Ohio River. Locals call it the Big Mac bridge after the McDonald's yellow arches logo It offers a visually appealing approach to the city but like the Brent Spence Bridge above carries twice as many cars and trucks per day as it was built to hold. This is my favorite one to drive over!

And finally...

The Purple People Bridge

Completed in 1872, this bridge was originally called the L&N Railroad Bridge and carried trains over the Ohio River. In 2003, after being abandoned for 20 years, the bridge was repainted and opened to solely pedestrian traffic. It carries people between the entertainment centers in Newport and the stadiums in Cincinnati.

There are a lot more bridges in Cincinnati (I believe that we have the most bridges of any city besides Pittsburgh) but these are the highlights! Yay bridges!