Highways to avenues: avoiding tunnels in SimCity 3000

Contributor/author(s): Sam (edited by Kyle D.J.)

(Originally published 18 May 2003.)

(Editor's update: Contrary to what this article may state, these road-to-highway connections are non-functional—traffic cannot cross these connections. If you build these in your city, they will be "broken links" in your transportation network. Therefore, these connections are useful only for aesthetics, for example, if you are trying to replicate a real-world city in detail. If you use these connections, be sure to have alternate transportation routes so that your city will function properly.)

I have found a way to avoid the dreaded highway tunnel wedge as a connector from an avenue to a highway. Thanks to Kyle D.J. for information on better bulldozing, which is described in article Better bulldozing (#1305). Follow the instructions there to add better bulldozing to your game, and then do the following steps:

1. Build a double bridge as described in article How to build double bridges (#0377). (Note that you must use real water, not surface water, for this project).
2. Bulldoze the bridges except for the two entrance ramps on one bank.
3. Level the terrain around the ramps.
4. Terraform a slope where the highway will meet the ramps. Then, build the highway up to the ramps.

Voila! Quick and easy—and space efficient.

See also
Better bulldozing
Interconnecting highways with roads
Y-Splits for highways
Ramped highway-avenue interconnection