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@AB0BA_6922 күн бұрын
Wow, so much hate on Texas. You know what's really bigger in Texas? Soul.
@whochecksthis22 күн бұрын
I have an interchange question. What determines which merge lane ends? In NC, the highway on-ramps start out two or three lane, then have to merge left or right to join the highway. Ignoring those lanes where the exit is on the left of the road… What determines which of the on-ramp lanes end? Same highway, same direction, in Charlotte it is a toss up weather the left or right lane ends… and it is frustrating. Why can’t there be a standard? I mean, it would make sense that always the right lanes end, and everybody entering the highway from multi lane on-ramps would always merge left to join the right lane.
@kaboom467922 күн бұрын
Make sense ? BLASPHEMY !
@tomar8122 күн бұрын
Be careful, Grady. Saying "Roundabout in the US" may cause your video to be demonetized.
@calvin733022 күн бұрын
NordVPN doesn't get around the Chinese firewall, by the way
@brandonwestfall324122 күн бұрын
"impossible to cover them all." That's quitter talk, gimme that 5 hour long interchange extravaganza
@Croz8922 күн бұрын
Ask RoadGuyRob, he'll probably do a livestream.
22 күн бұрын
ask Alex at Technology Connection for a 1 hour talking lol
@msromike12322 күн бұрын
LOL, Ill watch it!
@Konraden22 күн бұрын
Yes please. Some of us love interchanges more than our own children.
@alveolate22 күн бұрын
that tease with the slot machine thing was just too much... I WANT ALL OF THE STACKS
@fieryweasel22 күн бұрын
"...vehicles flowing" is a strong term for that traffic. When I was there, we just sort of oozed.
@NiSE_Rafter22 күн бұрын
Lol oozed is a good way of describing it
@gus47322 күн бұрын
As a former Tarrant County resident who often had to drive over to Dallas and fly out of Love Field, "ooze" is being kind! 😎✌️
@dishmanw22 күн бұрын
If you take the toll lane, it's faster. Austin is bad too, and we usually bypass it.
@dishmanw22 күн бұрын
BTW, my wife is terrified of the high lanes.
@zwojack728522 күн бұрын
as shown as in the video itself at that moment lol
@TukaihaHithlec20 күн бұрын
“It’s this terrible thing, but the engineering is impressive” describes too many things that I like
@unvergebeneid22 күн бұрын
I can say from personal experience that these things are not only impressive feats of engineering but almost impossible to build. It's a terrible mess of "slope too steep", "invalid shape" and that's not even mentioning getting those pilons to land exactly between the other roads!
@chasedavidson285522 күн бұрын
I haven't touched vertical and horizontal curves since college and I like it that way
@ericsilver940122 күн бұрын
@@chasedavidson2855you’re missing out
@user-uo7fw5bo1o22 күн бұрын
You must play Cities Skylines, right?
@jameswakim586322 күн бұрын
@@user-uo7fw5bo1o I was thinking the exact same thing lol
@Kni000222 күн бұрын
It’s easy, just control + A and all your problems go away, given you got the anarchy mod
@nutsandbolts43222 күн бұрын
When driving a big truck through Dallas for the first time, knowing which lane to be in is paramount to getting where you’re supposed to go. Simply using cardinal directions won’t help because you get twisted and turned so many times. Ramps that go to ramps that go to ramps. The only good news, when you inevitably end up on the wrong road, there is still likely a way to get where you’re going.
@DanBowkley22 күн бұрын
I got to make a sightseeing trip under the convention center with a 53' trailer once because I got stuck in the wrong lane, that was *ahem* exciting.
@stratcat321622 күн бұрын
Agreed. Even in a car it's a maze.
@elainebenes797122 күн бұрын
There are signs telling you where to go.
@bluecollar5822 күн бұрын
I was in driver training twenty years ago , at night in the rain , and one of the student drivers got scared , stopped the truck on top of a loop and refused to drive further. There were six of us jammed in the sleeper and I got mad and jumped up front and drove. I couldn’t believe someone would let their fear endanger us and himself.
@DavidPruitt22 күн бұрын
@@elainebenes7971 True, but with all the construction they're barely visible and never accurate.
@ryancampbell219220 күн бұрын
As a former Ft Worth resident, I can tell you the one major downside is during the rare (but inevitable) ice storms. As there are no salt trucks, this causes glaze ice on these interchanges, causing huge pile-ups. I barely avoided being a part of a hundred car pile up when a semi trailer made it 95% of the way up to the top, but due to traffic stalled ahead they had to hit the brakes...it then jack-knifed & came sliding back down, pushing every car on the 2 lanes & the side berms all the way back down. There was nowhere to go, no way to stop the accident, no way to back up...literally dozens & dozens & dozens of cars crushed in inevitable slow motion. Afterwards, the cars had to wait for hours & hours in the freezing rain while a fleet of tow trucks worked to pull each successive car out, starting from the furthest back.
@cll1out19 күн бұрын
I almost got caught up in this driving Uber in Austin. I got extremely lucky that my car got out of there without a scratch. After we were stuck for two hours, we got moving then I lost control again managing to skid right between two cars that couldn’t move then I got control again before hitting the barrier. I immediately took the service roads home after that which were just fine because they were not high up in the air with the freezing winds going above AND below the road.
@thomaslink268518 күн бұрын
I live in Dallas. We have at most perhaps one or two ice storms a year. Salt trucks aren’t a thing. And heated tram rails are discussed every time ice stops rail service but always is dropped due to cost.
@aquiamorgan241618 күн бұрын
Yep. Those of us in places with inevitable and routine roadway icing, bridges are the absolute worst to drive on. They're not insulated by the ground below them!
@brucew706218 күн бұрын
They block off and close the I-30 West to I-35 South interchange in Fort Worth when icy conditions exist. They had to because so many trucks got stuck trying to go up the long elevated section. They just keep building more of these stacked interchanges. I-820 / 121 / 183 interchanges, I-30 / 360 interchange for instance.
@Toby_Flenderson_198217 күн бұрын
I don’t know what y’all are talking about. I lived in Richardson until last year and lived through the few crazy ice storms over the last few years and we had plenty of salt trucks. Every single intersection in Richardson was salted to the point that I got annoyed because of potential rust issues. Maybe Dallas is different? That would be surprising to me as it’s much better funded.
@DQSpider22 күн бұрын
Speaking as someone who moved to Texas some years back...if you don't live here you cannot appreciate how much Texas loves highways. Whole cities are built around them. Interstates and state highways converge right where people live. And yes, they love a good frontage road. You will make more u-turns in a day here than you might ever make in your entire life anywhere else. It's truly staggering.
@MarkAHoltz22 күн бұрын
Absolute truth.
@cruisinguy602422 күн бұрын
Yuuuup. People in other states have no concept of the commercial sprawl along frontage roads and how ugly traffic can be on frontage roads because of that. Even when I lived in NYC there was better flow because they don’t have these godawful frontage roads that exist to provide more commercial space.
@WastrelWay22 күн бұрын
In some places, the interchange, whatever kind it is, dumps you on the frontage road. Then, sometimes you have to make that U-turn (through a couple of traffic lights) to get in the direction you want to go. At one place in Austin (going from westbound on Steck Ave. to northbound on MoPac), you have to go through two stoplights on the frontage road before you can enter the freeway. By the way, it is rumored that there are so many frontage roads in Texas because a maker and installer of traffic lights bribed the legislature and the Highway Department to require them. As for the cloverleaf in San Antonio that is being replaced by flyovers, mentioned in the video, I have my doubts. I have driven all over Texas and I've never seen a cloverleaf.
@thunderb00m22 күн бұрын
He lives in texas and so do i. I35 is a nightmare. Big trucks and altimas are breaking every law out there. But yeah the texas turnarounds are super convenient.
@thunderb00m22 күн бұрын
@@WastrelWaylmao, no its simple, see how many owners block/ refuse to sell the land for the high speed rail but if the same land being used for an interstate, then opposition dissappears, its because landowners get access to frontage roads. People are greedy by nature. Why would you sell land to a project you wont directly benefit from.
@everss0222 күн бұрын
the U-turn before an overpass is the best texas road item
@rvdb736320 күн бұрын
Is that for the people who see the overpass and think "nope"?
@fortyseven183220 күн бұрын
The "texas turnaround" is to ease congestion at the underpass traffic lights.
@user-wl5wj3ho5x20 күн бұрын
We call them Texas U-Turns.
@Gloop_Anderson20 күн бұрын
@@user-wl5wj3ho5x Are you guys talking about how sometimes before you pass a red light on the off roads near highways there are those uturns.
@user-wl5wj3ho5x20 күн бұрын
@@Gloop_Anderson I suppose. They’re on highways where a street goes under the highway, but before you get to the light there’s a left exit off the service road. It’s so you can get to the other side and the opposite direction without actually going through the intersection. Texas u-turn. There may be other names as well, and I’m sure this is not an official name. lol
@AlphaCenturi-n1n21 күн бұрын
I dont know if you actually saw my comment on last video, but I really appreciate you turning down music and going easy on the repetitive songs. It makes binge watching your stuff that much better! Thank you, Grady!
@dfmayes19 күн бұрын
He also squeaks his voice less than he used to.
@LexyTheEbikeQueen15 күн бұрын
Dang yall complain in real life and internet life smh
@divides_by_zero22 күн бұрын
Whenever ice hits the DFW area (usually one or two times a winter), the high-five is the first place to freeze. Local news stations camp out here to broadcast road conditions. It is part public service and part spectator sport watching the mayhem that ensues. You try to avoid all bridges and overpasses during icy conditions, but the flat terrain in DFW makes this virtually impossible.
@granatmof22 күн бұрын
In the 2024 freeze I had computer parts I had ordered at microcenter, which was just north of the high five. I took surface roads the entire way there and back. It took 2 hours, but I could build my pc while staying home from work the next day. Ironically the only person in office to crash was the girl from the north who claimed she was great at driving in winter conditions. She didn't listen when we told her to stay off if you didn't need to be somewhere. Ice is different than snow.
@phillyphakename125522 күн бұрын
I think the high five also gets news coverage because of the nearby Churchill Road overpass. Perfect frame to view the carnage, low traffic on the road itself, wide open skies for easy broadcast, and a nearby TV station makes for easy discovery of the perfect spot. It might not be the most dangerous spot in the metroplex, but it is definitely the best one to film!
@jeffspaulding983422 күн бұрын
@@granatmof Being from a northern state means you're used to having a road department well equipped for icy conditions. The best cold weather drivers I've found are ones from the middle states, where it gets cold enough to ice over fairly several times a year but not often enough to justify the constant maintenance the northern states see. Think Iowa, Nebraska, etc. I've heard it referred to as "religious road maintenance" - i.e. "God put it there, God will take it away."
@danielgrey299422 күн бұрын
Probably another reason why they’re so common in Texas as compared to other places. It doesn’t get to freezing temperatures very often.
@rcstl881522 күн бұрын
@@jeffspaulding9834 "God put it there, God will take it away." - my attitude towards my STL driveway and sidewalks. I usually take snow days, liberally.
@GabrielTobing22 күн бұрын
The fact that I know some of those interchange names and designs off of cities skylines is just proof its a tradfic management game in disguise lol
@simongeard482421 күн бұрын
"In disguise"?
@klobe921 күн бұрын
99% traffic and budget management simulator
@Wagga-mt6cx20 күн бұрын
You might just be blind because there is no disguise.
@mikegrizzle301420 күн бұрын
It's a civil engineering sim without a disguise at all.
@user-wc5lw7ps6h119 күн бұрын
@@klobe9 Turn on unlimited money and it gets fun
@BarbaraHutchison-m8s21 күн бұрын
A bit of perspective from someone who recently moved to Fort Worth: I can drive from north forth worth all the way to North Dallas at a nonstop 75-80mph in the express lane, going through 4 interchanges and never slowing down for about 1 hour. This entire time you never leave a 'city' feel. The scale here is immense and the highways are certainly designed by engineers, not architects.
@RC-qf3mp21 күн бұрын
Yeah, they are designed by engineers who invested heavily in Big Oil stocks, in a state dominated by Big Oil, that is in cahoots with the Auto Industry and want nothing more than to make Americans as reliable as possible on Big Oil and individual cars rather than sensible public transportation and safe, clean walkable cities. DFW is a disaster. I left the US to live in a beautiful, clean walkable city in Spain. I spend less that $20 a month on transportation and walk just about everywhere.
@Captain-Awesome21 күн бұрын
@@RC-qf3mpwe won’t miss you. Enjoy Spain.
@Captain-Awesome21 күн бұрын
I grew up here, the highways were certainly built for growth and they definitely make it easy to move around “most” of the time. I am thankful for the map apps that help navigate the best way around. The amount of growth we have seen with people moving to DFW is shocking to say the least. Welcome to the area!
@RC-qf3mp21 күн бұрын
@@Captain-Awesome each McMansion is a giant refrigerator. Wait till you get the electric bill. But you’re lucky if you have electricity because the politicians ruined the power grid. Just be like Ted Cruz and go to Cancun when the power goes out.
@Micahj1540521 күн бұрын
Your insanity is showing. You should get that checked out. @RC-qf3mp
@arielioffe181022 күн бұрын
Petition for Grady to make a video where he describes every interchange design.
@IAmPGZW20 күн бұрын
Where do we sign?😅
@snugpig20 күн бұрын
yes
@meganw600719 күн бұрын
Absolutely. Yes. My first thought when he said that was "I gotta find his video on those!!"
@JP_Names19 күн бұрын
My favorites the clovers 🍀
@bullithedjames93717 күн бұрын
Only if he builds models...😂😂😂😂🎉🎉🎉
@grannygrammar643622 күн бұрын
Note that in the film at 0:42, the majority of the cars are not moving or are just plodding along at a walking pace. This is a five-level traffic jam.
@TylerDollarhide22 күн бұрын
Typical rush hour in DFW. Especially on the Dallas side.
@unvergebeneid22 күн бұрын
Do you mean at 0:30?
@geoffstrickler22 күн бұрын
Yeah, the High 5 works great for thru traffic, but the interchanges between 635 and 75 are slow for 8-14 hours daily.
@Guysm1l3y22 күн бұрын
You mean the slow motion shot? LOL
@nicholaswroblewski306922 күн бұрын
@@unvergebeneidthat shot was slow motion
@jasontankable21 күн бұрын
They had to invent a new machine to assemble the High 5, allowing them to build the flyovers with fewer interruptions to the preexisting traffic. It was this clamp-like contraption that attached to the existing pillars and roadway. It would lift a section of bridge up, then could move to the end of the new piece and lift the next section. Then it would go to the other side of the pillar and repeat the whole process. A "normal" crane had to be used to put it in position and move it between pillars, requiring traffic stoppages and such, but they were kept to the bare minimum, and usually done at night. The entire project finished ahead of schedule and under budget, too!
@violetviolet88819 күн бұрын
You'd be interested in these channels: @TheImpossibleBuild and @ProjectNexus2030
@ssjwes57211 күн бұрын
amazing!
@user-fq5mw9vs9o22 күн бұрын
13:16 The designers of the WI30/I94 interchange decided to fly the left-hand turn to merge it onto . . . the inside fast lane of a 70MPH interstate. Extra difficulty points are awarded because the flyover lane disappears in 300yards and much of that traffic is trying to cross 3 lanes getting to the far-right exit for the next interchange about a mile away. Fun times!
@absolutechaos1320 күн бұрын
I find it hard to argue if that one is better or worse than the 12/18 and I-90 interchange directly south of it, where through lanes just appear and disappear at random. I think it mostly depends on which way you are going. 151 is probably the best of the 3 of them because it just backs up instead of throwing high-speed traffic into low-speed traffic and hoping for the best.
@ThePlainswalker1322 күн бұрын
I know the highways in DFW are absolutely awful to navigate by GPS because of this. They have no way of determining which of the 7,000 tiers of highway you are on.
@UncleKennysPlace22 күн бұрын
My previous GPS database (car based) thought I should take a right, on the road twenty feet below me. I declined.
@Broken_robot198622 күн бұрын
@@UncleKennysPlacehey it's better then 20 feet above you
@Roblafo22 күн бұрын
Yeah it usually works until you mess something up, then the GPS has no idea how to reroute since it doesn't know what road you're on.
@ScorpionXXXVII22 күн бұрын
As long are youre moving and not in stop dead traffic, its fine. It needs two pings to know what direction you're going.
@Lobonova22 күн бұрын
I use google maps. Never had a problem and i drive over 100 miles a day here.
@gregoryschaiberger357317 күн бұрын
One of the things I like about Texas is its frontage roads. I don’t know what the perceived disadvantages of frontage roads you are talking about. But I like being able to get off the road and getting back on if there is an accident, being able to get gas, getting food, etc just off the highway without having to drive miles off the highway to look for a gas station, find a restaurant, etc. Plus the “turnarounds” are very confident if you need to make a U turn.
@Andrew-qu7lq22 күн бұрын
I think the FHWA requires 16' clearance, but TxDOT wants it designed to 16.5' clearance for added room with future road repairs and regrading that might increase the height of the road. Texas also has specific highways and routes classified for high clearances, the Texas Highway Freight Network, which adds another 2' of necessary clearance. So designed to 18.5' of clearance between each road and bridge. Definitely adds up quick. You can look at the Statewide Planning Map for a ton of info on this stuff.
@illhaveawtrplz21 күн бұрын
We have a lot of these interchanges appearing in my area and I can’t help but think about the massive headaches and costs that are going to come with replacement in 30 years. Texas gets so little snow that I’m willing to bet theirs will last longer, but we are much further north. Are these interchanges even capable of being replaced?
@Andrew-qu7lq21 күн бұрын
@@illhaveawtrplz I think normal bridges are built to 50yr lifespan expectancy, but repairs and maintenance extends that. All bridges in the country are inspected every 2 years, or more often if there's an issue. I wouldn't be surprised if these interchange ramps and flyovers have a longer lifespan.
@LucarioBoricua21 күн бұрын
AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, basically the lobby of state DOTs and their contractors) does recommend leaving at least 4" / 0.1m of added clearance for this purpose.
@illhaveawtrplz21 күн бұрын
@@Andrew-qu7lq That’s a relief. Do you know anything about how snowy weather and snow removal practices impact the lifespan of these types of structures?
@Andrew-qu7lq21 күн бұрын
@@illhaveawtrplz no, I'm in the south with little snow experience. North texas gets relatively common freezes, but not much actual snow or ice accumulation, and there's basically no actual snow removal unless they bring the roadway graders out there as a make shift plow. I know that places like El Paso actually get a lot more wear and tear on the roads though because of the frequent and drastic temperature differences between day and night. So even though rain is sparse and snow is very rare, just the temperature differences is enough to cause a lot of problems to roadway surfaces in general. I think the bridge inspections are public information, though the actual conditions and photos are now considered confidential after one of the Homeland Security acts post 9/11. Still, there's a fair bit of information out there, just have to look at what each column of info is actually saying. BRINSAP, Bridge Inspection and Appraisal, is the name of TxDOT's that inspects all bridges in Texas, including non-txdot roads (many cities and counties forget to tell TxDOT that they built a bridge so some of these local ones are missing). Not sure about other states and their names.
@Paul71H22 күн бұрын
7:13 Frontage roads were one thing that really struck me as different when I spent a week in the Dallas, Texas area. I remember a four-lane divided highway that had frontage roads on both sides, with restaurants and other businesses all along the frontage roads. I have seen frontage roads in plenty of other states, but I have never seen anything like what I saw in Texas, with wall-to-wall businesses along the frontage roads, mile after mile. In other states that I've visited, frontage roads tend to be minor roads in rural areas, with businesses only near exits/entrances to the main highway.
@JoeyLovesTrains22 күн бұрын
It’s very strange to me, especially if you want to go to another business, you have to drive alll the way over instead of just walking.
@think-some-time22 күн бұрын
Frontage roads are an absolute abomination. They literally more than double the width of most highways, and are often the “highway lite” on toll roads. They enforce the worst style of merging.
@granatmof22 күн бұрын
Yeah in tex as Frontage roads serve as stroads, especially in the suburbs. The thing is the noise from the highway is really too loud, and the heat is just real bad from all the concrete.
@evancombs515922 күн бұрын
Yeah, I've had the concept of frontage roads explained to me many times, but the logic of them still eludes me. How is your front facing the highway better than your back facing the highway?
@csmlouis22 күн бұрын
You would really hate any construction to the Interstate/Highway as it tends to pile up the frontage exit/collection ability. It is not surprising that if you have to wait for 20 minutes behind a stop sign to exit local street and onto the frontage since there is no opening from the highway exiting traffic.
@QuilloManar21 күн бұрын
0:35 - "Flowing" 😂
@KyVisuals20 күн бұрын
It really does flow unless there is a jam up ahead
@heyx9918 күн бұрын
They need one more lane for sure.
@KyVisuals17 күн бұрын
@@heyx99 maybe 2 more lanes and some braided ramps
@heyx9917 күн бұрын
@@KyVisuals of course just to be sure 👍🏽
@mrexists540022 күн бұрын
One thing Texas does right is the access roads their U-turns, easiest state to turn around if you missed an exit
@jm539022 күн бұрын
Agreed. The turnarounds make correcting a mistake so much easier than in other states.
@dubzy2119 күн бұрын
Absolutely not
@dubzy2119 күн бұрын
It’s 10000x easier to turn around on I95 in south Florida than anywhere in Texas. ANYWHERE ANY ROAD STREET ANYTHINNG
@mrexists540019 күн бұрын
@@dubzy21 ah, the Florida Man route, fair enough
@dubzy2119 күн бұрын
@@mrexists5400 lol I swear man Texas is just the worst even when I do miss a turn and get to use the turnaround, it’ll be like 2 miles away still… what’s even the point 😭 Ijs in Florida you get off the ramp and it’s 500 feet until the light and at most you’ll have to wait 30-45 sec for the light to change because we are civilized and have sensors at every light unlike TEXAS 😭
@doggedout22 күн бұрын
My sister from Austin used to call the Dallas High Five: The Spaghetti Nightmare
@gingerman512322 күн бұрын
I'm in Austin, when I was little they were building the 183/MoPac interchange, we called it hte spaghetti bowl. You can see it today at timestamp 1:11
@robertaries297422 күн бұрын
We have a junction in Birmingham in the UK called Spaghetti junction
@erikyoung513922 күн бұрын
Spaghetti bowls are what my friends who grew up here call it.
@matttttttk469822 күн бұрын
I’ve always known it as the mixmaster lol
@effervescent_smegma-s1w22 күн бұрын
The mix master in downtown is the real spaghetti
@julianjurkoic357421 күн бұрын
As an engineer/nerd who's discipline isn't civil, I've been enjoying this channel for a while. I didn't expect to see an urbanist take out of this channel, but I'm very glad I did! I shouldn't be surprised as you seem like an intelligent person. Keep up the good work!
@violetviolet88819 күн бұрын
@ @julianjurkoic3574: You'd be interested in these channels: @TheImpossibleBuild and @ProjectNexus2030
@indetigersscifireview436022 күн бұрын
Being a civil engineer and having visited Texas multiple times I have to say Texas roads have some unique features. Last time we went we flew into DFW and rented a car to drive to Tyler Texas. The highway interchanges came fast and furious for at least an hour. Maybe more.
@JonBrase22 күн бұрын
Depending on whether you count certain closely packed interchanges that kind of merge into each other as one or two, there are 10 or 12 interchanges between the airport and the point where 20 heads off to Tyler.
@indetigersscifireview436022 күн бұрын
@@JonBrase those were some of the most difficult to navigate because you're unfamiliar with which to take and they're right next to each other.
@JonBrase22 күн бұрын
@@indetigersscifireview4360 Getting from the airport onto southbound 360 confuses me to this day, but most of the stuff around here isn't that bad.
@indetigersscifireview436022 күн бұрын
@@JonBrase if you are ever in Tyler head over to my nephew's brewery Truevine .
@csmlouis22 күн бұрын
@@JonBrase Hahaha, true when approaching the southern entrance of DFW International. At least they have "finished" constructing the 121 to northern approach.
@frogandspanner22 күн бұрын
Here in Birmingham (aka _Brum_ ) UK we have the original Spaghetti Junction. It is high because it had to take into account the 19C railways below, and in turn that had to take into account the 18C canal below it. Below was the Roman road Icknield Street, and below that . . .
@UnbeltedSundew22 күн бұрын
That's pretty cool. And looking at picture of it it is definitely named correctly lol. How is it to drive?
@56independent4222 күн бұрын
@@UnbeltedSundew i've heard that if you follow the signs it's easy but i've only been down the M6 portion.
@frogandspanner22 күн бұрын
@@UnbeltedSundew In the early days I kept making mistakes traversing it. These days I avoid it!
@rupertaitken311422 күн бұрын
🇬🇧
@noelnicholls189422 күн бұрын
It’s been many, many years but isn’t there a part up north where there are 62 parallel lanes? Or is that an exaggerated memory?
@AuthenTech21 күн бұрын
I’m convinced those cloverleafs are horrendous designs. Without fail so many traffic jams and accidents at those merges
@josephdegreeff947022 күн бұрын
I worked for Vince Hagan. We built the concrete batching equipment for the contractor out of San Antonio who built the High Five. When we delivered the equipment, the location was an old drive in movie theater the state of Texas had purchased years in advance of the project. It was so hard back then to picture how big the High 5 was going to be. One big challenge was during a big winter freeze. Tractor trailers all got stuck going up the ramps. Blocking traffic for days.
@BrokeWrench19 күн бұрын
Yep, drove through Dallas right after a big ice storm once. The interchanges were all blocked. Though the truckers figured the inch or 2 of ice made them a bad idea. It was all cars stuck 😂
@kv-520 күн бұрын
As a german I find these giant stacked interchanges quite bizarre. Over here we rarely have left-turning flyovers. Most Autobahnkreuze (Freeway interchanges) are of the good old cloverleaf design, built in the 70s, with the lanes for off- and on-coming traffic seperated by a barrier from the through traffic. That makes the weaving in and out not so much of a problem. Next to the negatives mentioned I would argue the cloverleaf has a number of benefits: A) It doesn't have kilometers/miles of bridges per interchange that are both expensive to build and maintain since all of the ramps can usually be on earthen embankments. B) They are predictable. On a german Kleeblatt (cloverleaf) you always know where to exit: First exit to go right, second to go left. C) There (usually) is a continous looping sliproad on the inside that is capable of leading you in every direction, even if you missed your first exit (can also be used in case of Baustelle (construction work) on the right turning lanes). D) They are much less of an eyesore to the surrounding area as they are not tall at all. Only when the cloverleaf really cannot cope with the traffic demands will the german civil engineer consider a different solution. With that being said the german freeways rarely exceed three lanes per direction so the traffic levels are generally lower. The busiest interchange in germany is still a modified cloverleaf (The Frankfurter Kreuz with the A3 and A5).
@cyan_oxy673417 күн бұрын
You fail to consider that Americans can't drive and have no discipline about lane speeds and driving courtesy.
@JohnSmith-cn4cw17 күн бұрын
I'm sure a German you do, since your country is half the size of Texas and has four times the population density, its possible that you mentally may require a much fixed common driving solution.
@Monsuco17 күн бұрын
Looking it up, Frankfurt has a population density of 8,100 per square mile & Berlin has a massive 10,910 per square mile while Dallas has a population of 3,841 per square mile and the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex's overall density is 880 per square mile. With densities so high, many German cities can rely on mass transit while most Americans live in areas far less dense where heavy reliance on cars makes more sense.
@TheEvilAdministrator16 күн бұрын
@@Monsuco You've got the causal relationship somewhat backwards: US cities' population densities are as low as they are largely due to their legally-mandated transportation infrastructure (*cough* a whole lot of bad law/regulation right there) and horrendous zoning. In most if not all American states/cities, it's **illegal** to build anything other than car-dependent sprawl. You'd think with all that talk about the "free market", they'd let the market decide what it wants... BUT NO. The market's only allowed to do what it wants when it furthers the interest of certain well-connected and/or already-extremely-wealthy people & companies.
@qoph19883 күн бұрын
@@TheEvilAdministrator Yes, it is illegal do do almost anything here. The United States is an ironically-named "capitalist free-market" country, but in many if not most examples it mysteriously behaves a lot like a centrally-planned communist bureaucracy... Wonder why that is
@kathyperantie516022 күн бұрын
I moved to dallas when they still had the old cloverleaf interchange where the high five is now. You can not imagine the improvement! I worked in an office that overlooks the high five while it was being constructed. My office full of engineers had a great time watching it all come together.
@lynneros22 күн бұрын
you cannot imagine how much I envy you that experience
@davedelarosa31922 күн бұрын
I moved from Dallas while it was still there (Oct '98). The exit lane from 635W to Technology Dr. (?) was my personal race track corners. I had a friend who lived in Richardson and that was my preferred merge as the old interchange was always questionable at best. That said, moving from D/FW to ATL and working in logistics it routinely brought me laughs when I'd tell truck drivers I learned to drive in D/FW and got either immediate respect or sympathy.
@big_beak20 күн бұрын
The interchange that the High Five replaced at I-635 & US-75 had some loops, but it wasn't a cloverleaf. In fact there was a left-lane exit from eastbound I-635 in the center of the interchange that merged into the left side of northbound US-75. Thankfully TXDOT is trying to eliminate all left-lane exits and left-lane entrances all over Dallas, because it slows traffic down so much. They've already got a replacement designed for the I-635/I-35E interchange that gets rid of all 4 of its lefties. They just need the $$$ to do it. 😊 I too used to work in a high-rise building near the future High Five, although not close enough to view the construction. I was happy when my company announced a move to a location that took me nowhere near the High Five construction zone. 🙌👍😊
@kathyperantie516020 күн бұрын
@@big_beak true it was technically a partial cloverleaf. I commuted through it on 75 from plano to downtown before I moved to that office so I’m much more familiar with that portion. 75 had the cloverleafs to get on 635 in both directions. The bottleneck as everyone slowed for those ramps was a nightmare, especially after they widened the rest of 75.
@carlospcpro22 күн бұрын
As a kid I used to love to pass under these kinds of structures, now days I just can’t stop think about how sustainable is this way of designing our cities. Great video
@381delirius22 күн бұрын
you mean how unsustainable it is.
@carlospcpro22 күн бұрын
@@381delirius yep
@AB0BA_6922 күн бұрын
@@carlospcprowhat's unsustainable? You think we are going to run out of sand for concrete any time soon?😂
@Jehty_22 күн бұрын
@@AB0BA_69 In the not too distant future all of these have to be replaced. And before that they will have to be repaired. How much money will that cost? What will be done with the traffic during these constructions projects? This is why they are not sustainable.
@petertbbrett22 күн бұрын
@@AB0BA_69 Yes. There is actually starting to be a global shortage of sand that's appropriate for making concrete. Not all sand is suitable for construction.
@sunnyjim135521 күн бұрын
The phrase 'If you build it, he/they will come', has never been more true than in regard to roads.
@marekhlavackovi367722 күн бұрын
5:00 best thing about clover leafs is you can go all the way around and have fun
@DrDeuteron21 күн бұрын
bucket list item defined.
@ElMoonLite20 күн бұрын
@@DrDeuteronOoh now I want to as well! And the best part is: you skip the annoying mixed interweaving and can just stay on your lane to take the next exit, apart from the last one to get back on the initial lane.
@ElMoonLite20 күн бұрын
@@DrDeuteron also, if you haven't already; take a roundabout all around ;-)
@DrDeuteron20 күн бұрын
@@ElMoonLite Im in cali, we don't do traffic circles here. No one knows what to do, it's not taught nor findable in the book. It's a free for all, and I don't keep my guns in the car.
@neurofiedyamato876320 күн бұрын
@@DrDeuteron traffic circles and roundabouts are different. They look the same but traffic rules are different due to signals vs yielding. Also roundabouts are really simple. I'm not sure what there is to be confused about. For small ones with one lane, there's basically nothing you need to consider. Just yield to traffic already inside when entering. For something like a 3-lane roundabout, rightmost to turn right, center to go straight, and leftmost to turn left. It's pretty intuitive.
@f937r22 күн бұрын
As someone who has been on the DFW interchanges... I'm never astonished by what it is. I'm just annoyed by how awful traffic is at most times of the day.
@mostlyvoid.partiallystars22 күн бұрын
True that. I visited a couple months ago and it was nuts. And my basis for comparison is downtown Atlanta which is no picnic.
@asadahmad271622 күн бұрын
@@mostlyvoid.partiallystars it has gotten way worse after the pandemic. That was even more painful since we had gotten used to nearly empty roads. Still, the congestion isn't as bad as some coastal cities, in my experience. The quality of drivers is a whole other story though.
@ShadowZero2722 күн бұрын
@@mostlyvoid.partiallystarswhen you loose to atlanta in traffic u down bad
@mostlyvoid.partiallystars22 күн бұрын
@@ShadowZero27 right? Maybe my familiarity with ATL biases me. I mean traffic is still insane but at least it’s not terrifying lol
@andresross153722 күн бұрын
It's almost as if you can't design your way out of cars being inefficient at scale.
@tylerkeller712021 күн бұрын
Current Texas driver that loves frontage roads because it means I can basically take the freeway without getting on the freeway you just have to leave 15 minutes earlier than what you planned, but it just makes the drive so much significantly less stressful
@IstasPumaNevada21 күн бұрын
Now imagine if half those trips could be replaced by a short stroll, or a spin on a bicycle, in an area with little traffic noise.
@CandleWisp20 күн бұрын
@@IstasPumaNevadaNot all trips can be replaced by bike. But the trips that are replaced by walking or by cycling will improve the trips that really do need to be done by car.
@badart320420 күн бұрын
@@IstasPumaNevadanow imagine trying to have a family in tightly packed apartments which is what you are actually describing. For all the benefits of what you describe only single family housing has a replacement level fertility rate
@aloysiusdevadander1919 күн бұрын
They're the best
@m.a.t.a.s22 күн бұрын
Now this monument is what really represents America
@thatoneotherotherguy22 күн бұрын
The logical conclusion of car dependency. God forbid we build some high speed rail between the massive Texas cities!
@theflyingfish6622 күн бұрын
High-rise buildings so you can live 5mins away from work "Eww, no, they will ruin our neighborhood character" High-rise highways "Yes please, this will make my 1hr commute 10mins shorter"
@taino164222 күн бұрын
Yeah Freedom to go and do what you want when you want. Not have to wait for gov. To provide transportation.
@loafoffloof342022 күн бұрын
probably just the city sprawls of heavily dense cities such as LA, Jacksonville Florida, Queens NY, and Texas's big cities in general. In Maine, Alaska, Colorado, New Hampshire, etc there is not much giant interchanges to document about
@magnusdagbro822622 күн бұрын
@@taino1642 good thing these $100bn highways and interchanges build themselves at no cost.
@mskinch922 күн бұрын
Growing up in Dallas, we called them "Mixmasters".
@peteasmr295222 күн бұрын
I was starting to think I was going crazy. I kept thinking I thought these were called mixmasters.🤣😅 Thank you for your comment!
@dorvinion21 күн бұрын
That's what they call them in Des Moines which has two of them. I never heard them call that in Chicago area though.
@Yeah-its-me19 күн бұрын
We still do. :)
@haroldbeauchamp377017 күн бұрын
Having spent quite a bit of time in Houston, there they are known as spaghetti bowls.
@snickas12 күн бұрын
I've never heard such a warmhearted, positive explanaition about such a problematic and widely disliked part of our built environment. Very refreshing thank you!
@papercrane74722 күн бұрын
I stayed in a hotel next to one of these interchanges in dallas. It was the weirdest building ive ever been in, and the roads were insane. Ive never seen so many reckless drivers in one place. Everybodys driving at least 20 over, the horn gets more use than the turn signals, and there is little room for error.
@kenosabi22 күн бұрын
Ever been on the 101 in Cali?
@Gundam4President22 күн бұрын
Tbf if you’re not doing 20 over you can just stay on the right lane When I cruise I go for the right lane. If I’m speeding I’ll go on the right lane.
@Lobonova22 күн бұрын
Oh you poor baby
@geoffstrickler22 күн бұрын
Didn’t anyone explain that turn signals are optional in DFW?
@jacobfreeland330322 күн бұрын
Its like a known rule among texas that if you not going 5-10 over then you are going too slow. Especially in smaller towns, like the one I live in, you can go 5-15 miles over the speed limit past a cop and unless its the end of the month and the quotas are hurting they won't even brake.
@CrawfordDrummer22 күн бұрын
10:37 I appreciate the way you cover the nuance and put into words how I've felt for many years. Almost expected a "look what they need to mimic a fraction of our power" meme 😂
@shuriken767321 күн бұрын
I still laugh sometimes knowing how a failed collective urban development looks when watching US's videos. It's like a reminder to not forget your grand goal XD
@steves7896Күн бұрын
I spent eight years working on billboards in DFW, Houston and San Antonio. I was always impressed with how well their freeway systems worked (compared to my home town Vegas). Most drivers in Texas are on the same page, the speed limits are high and aside from rush hour you could cover a great distance in a short amount of time with little to no stress. You mentioned that there were downsides to the frontage road designs but you didn't say what any of them were. I'm my experience I thought they were great. The Texas U-turns were brilliant, very efficient. Drivers in Texas too usually changed lanes to the left with time to spare to allow traffic to enter the freeway, common courteousy. Here on Vegas roads selfishness is the hottest game in town.
@rogerwilco222 күн бұрын
I not only see a very expensive interchange to build, but also a high long term maintenance cost.
@alexrogers77722 күн бұрын
Seriously, who is going to pay for all this? Even a couple million drivers paying a hundred bucks a year in registration fees isn't enough to fund all the maintenance, repairs, and eventual demolition of all these highways and these elevated highways only get more expensive the taller they get.
@BrettShadow22 күн бұрын
If you do the opposite of usual govt work and build them right, there isn't much of an issue. As much as people complain, TXDOT is probably the best in the nation
@swedneck22 күн бұрын
not to mention the money you're losing out on from not having anything actually productive there, infamously you can fit entire european neighbourhoods in the area of one interchange..
@BrettShadow21 күн бұрын
@@swedneck Listen.... WE DONT WANT TO BE EUROPE! IF YOU WANT TO LIVE EUROPEAN, MOVE TO EUROPE
@rsewill1220 күн бұрын
That is the idea, make them expensive to build, the rebuild them every 15 years. Constant work for big road construction companies, lots of profit.
@DanielleWhite22 күн бұрын
I have quite the memory of the High Five: when it was closed for morning rush hour due to a tanker wreck in June of 2018. I was moving from Raleigh to Houston and made a road trip of it to visit friends. For my last night on the road I stayed at the Best Western immediately northwest of the interchange. I woke to hearing helicopters and had an interesting start of my ride that day. I later lived near the I-10 and TX-99 interchange in Katy.
@BanterMaestro2-y9z22 күн бұрын
Were you there when one of our seismic crews on their way back to Houston at 3 AM dropped the thumpers on their seismic trucks on 99 and set off every car alarm in Cinco Ranch? 😂
@salvadorvega983422 күн бұрын
i remember that, i almost got stuck on it on my way to work lol
@teekev12522 күн бұрын
You did not mention that we have mild winters here in Texas, and for that reason, we do not have icing issues. When we do have a rare winter storm, all of these roads have ice on the bridges and have to be closed for safety reasons. I will add that a freeway interchange is the highest point in Houston.
@Imaboss8ball22 күн бұрын
Houston doesn't have tall buildings?
@RockHawley22 күн бұрын
@@Imaboss8ball Cities in Texas (and Houston is probably the worst of them at this) are kinda notorious for building outwards with tons of suburbs rather than having many tall buildings, there are some tall buildings in Houston but not as much as other large cities
@danielfay896322 күн бұрын
@@Imaboss8ball If we're including buildings then the highest point is definitely not an interchange. There are plenty of tall buildings in the downtown (although the other comments are right, outside the downtown its basically all low buildings)
@lazydadsgarage22 күн бұрын
It's a joke that the 5 stack interchanges are the highest point in Houston because it's so flat....
@Ergzay22 күн бұрын
Icing issues isn't a problem in cold places either. If the roads are coated in salt then ice doesn't form. It's more that Texas _does_ have icing issues but deal with them poorly.
@JellykaNerevan22 күн бұрын
Am I the only one who would actually like a video covering every one of these designs?? 5:41
@IstasPumaNevada21 күн бұрын
Remember: For the most part, cities aren't loud, _traffic_ is loud. Make a city walkable and bikeable, and exclude personal vehicles for an area, and suddenly it's SO much more enjoyable to both visit and live in. And wastes less money and space on roads and parking lots!
@smallxplosion954619 күн бұрын
But it’s illegal to do that in the USA apparently
@riogrande163Күн бұрын
cars are quieter than they ever have been,
@macmedic89222 күн бұрын
4:35 Two wrongs don’t make a right; three rights make a left.
@Daniel-jk7pe21 күн бұрын
2 blacks don't make a white
@ElMoonLite20 күн бұрын
Uhmm, are you sure? How? If I take 3 rights on a clover I end up going right from my initial direction, not left. I need to take 1+4N rights to make a left. (1, 5, 9, ...) I need to take 3+4N rights to make a right. (3, 7, 11, ...) Unless you are talking about 4 same grade regular intersections in a rectangular (Manhattan like) grid, then 3 rights do make a left from your initial direction.
@TylerR90922 күн бұрын
I love the frontage roads every time I visit Texas. They're great. I wish we had them in more places.
@DJJonPattrsn2222 күн бұрын
I LOVE & appreciate how you CORRECTLY credit the Italians for first implementing a basic equivalent to the "interstate highway"!!! The German Autobahn almost always gets the credit even though it was really just the inspiration for OUR system (when Eisenhower was exposed to it during his travels).
@demoniack8122 күн бұрын
Yep I was not expecting the A8 to be mentioned. Also the name "Autostrada" is basically what gives a lot of freeways around the world their name. Autobahn, Autopista, Autoestrada, Autoroute, Autocesta, Autoput, автострада (literally "autostrada" even though road is obviously not strada in russian), etc.
@justinsayin397920 күн бұрын
Yeah, but he called it the _Ottostrade_ and made it sound German.
@adama129422 күн бұрын
The frontage roads are very convenient. If you take a wrong turn, it is easy to correct and get back going the right way. Plus the easy view at the stores alongside is nice.
@Cvusmo4 күн бұрын
As a Texan, I can confirm a frontage road is just a secondary highway. Sometimes faster to stay on the frontage road than to get on the interstate.
@Chasmodius22 күн бұрын
These interchanges feature regularly in my stress dreams. Luckily, whatever car I'm driving (frequently from the back seat!) has super grippy tires that keep me on the road when the bank grade approaches 90° (dream logic).
@kurohone22 күн бұрын
Imagine poor little Canadian me arriving in Dallas in 1994 and seeing the I-35E (I think?) interchange heading southwards. That was absolutely mind-blowing to me. Not to mention the concept of left-hand exits. And then trying to get off the I-35 southbound in downtown Austin.... Yeah, city highways in Texas do leave an impression.
@JamesPhieffer22 күн бұрын
There are left hand exits in Toronto and Montréal, and Montréal has at least one impressively tall interchanges. Some of the 407 interchanges are more spaghettified as well, particularly where it meets the 427.
@paulburley799317 күн бұрын
If you drive on Toronto freeways you would have been prepared. 401 is so massive it really scares out-of-towners.
@pegasustargaryen21 күн бұрын
Germany's only stack (Wetzlarer Kreuz) is getting demolished soon, so I visited it earlier this year! The funny part is that the crossing highway (only 5 km long) is pretty much connected to nothing but countryside, so it's a hugely overbuilt construction!
@Fabdanc22 күн бұрын
I am in Houston, and these super tall interchange terrify my... the mind instantly goes to "what if this collapses while I am on it?!"
@awesomecomputers707622 күн бұрын
It’s unlikely to ever collapse as long as it’s maintained properly. So as long as txdot has $$$ those should be ok.
@juanquireyes670322 күн бұрын
@@awesomecomputers7076 "So as long as txdot has $$$" LOL, lmao even. 🥲
@turnertruckandtractor22 күн бұрын
You are not the only one.
@makingbiscuits24-722 күн бұрын
I'm terrified of the 288/BW8 exit. It's just too tall and too curved. The fear of driving off or having a piece of it fall off is admittedly irrational, but I just can't make myself drive 98' in the air. I find myself having to drive out of my way to avoid our tall exit ramps and interchanges. It's good to know I'm not alone!
@user-sk1eh3pg6j22 күн бұрын
It'll fall one day. Nothing lasts forever. Texas is cheap as hell.
@lakrids-pibe22 күн бұрын
I remember reading a Donald Duck story by Carl Barks where he gets lost in a labyrinth of a freeway interchange. Donald's solution is to flip a coin !! In this story Donald follows the philosophy of *flipism* - using coin flipping to make all decisions in life - as the solution to all problems. The story is called "Flip Decision" from 1953. It's an absolute classic.
@erielighthousetheater539522 күн бұрын
I'll have to look that up. I love Carl barks's stories. Absolute classic duck stories. As a side note, Don Rosa's style was a nice follow-up to Carl's. Very similar.
@Padoinky4 күн бұрын
Service roads aka Frontage roads, once y’all get accustomed to using them, are actually pretty convenient - I’ve lived in North TX-DFW for 15 yrs now and yeah, the mass meeting points of the LBJ Freeway, I-35, I-635, Simons Expressway, I-75, the George Bush Tollway, the North Dallas Tollway and so many others roadways, are an acquired taste, but having new and well-maintained/marked infrastructure, roadways wherein oftentimes there are 6-8 lanes going EACH direction, is great for moving traffic across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, which is indeed a huge urban/suburban and rural/country area that is continuously expanding as more and more industries chose to relocate their HQ and ops, like Toyota NA, McKesson, PGA, etc.
@variancewithin22 күн бұрын
So glad you're not totally lost in the sauce for highways. I can only hope you're on board with high speed rail and more sidewalks and bike lanes and busses and trams
@BrokeWrench19 күн бұрын
When public transit gets you to your location faster than driving it will get more popular, but getting to work from the suburbs faster wont happen until the road traffic becomes a 45min parking lot
@johnny_eth22 күн бұрын
I'm waiting for Brady to flex his infrastructure knowledge regarding safe pedestrian and bicycle lanes.
@hilburn-22 күн бұрын
How would an American learn about those?
@joebond209922 күн бұрын
@@hilburn- By reading the rules and regulations provided by the Federal Highway Administration and AASHTO
@love2scoobysnack22 күн бұрын
It would be more cost-effective for pedestrians and bicyclists to get a job and get a car.
@hilburn-22 күн бұрын
@@joebond2099 rules and regulations are fine and all, but I'd much rather listen to someone talk about actually competent and interesting implementations like you see... basically anywhere but the US where it's an afterthought built around car infrastructure
@kapa161122 күн бұрын
@@hilburn- i'm from Europe, and "..it's an afterthought built around car infrastructure" sums up our bike and pedestrian infrastructure pretty well xD less America bashing plz, cars are a problem everywhere ;)
@R-ecipes86418 күн бұрын
This is why traveling to Texas gives me the worst anxiety, being a guy who is paralyzingly afraid of open heights. It’s gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. … and I’m flying to Houston tomorrow.
@sunshine25287 күн бұрын
Reading these comments I thought I was the only one who is terrified of these interchanges, till I read your comment. I dont drive in the cities anymore very often. If I have to I stress about it the night before and also find routes through that avoid any and all bridges and flyovers. It can take me a very long time to get to my destination but it’s so much better to have a safe (ground) route.
@codiesmthКүн бұрын
And I was sitting here wondering why nobody was talking about height-related anxiety. I have a pilot’s license and these things freak me out. I avoid them whenever possible.
@sunshine2528Күн бұрын
@@codiesmth It blows my mind that you are a pilot and have issues with these concrete nightmares!
@stephenwilson764122 күн бұрын
Hi Grady. Thanks for talking about our highways. I live in San Antonio and have driven everywhere in Texas. Couple of comments. We still have several issues with merging, mostly because of the 'loop' highways that were constructed inside of existing cities and neighborhoods. There just isn't enough room to make some ramps long and graceful, so we have quite a few 20 and 25 mph ramps and a short acceleration lane. Also, a few years ago when we had the bad winter, the city had to close all of the interchanges. We don't have any mechanism for snow and ice removal here, so they just close the roads. Finally, TXDOT always waits about 15 to 20 years after the expansion is needed before starting work. The construction zone is a huge bottleneck for 4-6 years and very dangerous to drive through. The big trucks think it's OK to go 70 in a 40 mph construction zone and they do so. Pretty scary sometimes. Thanks again!
@davidbehrend705422 күн бұрын
And usually as soon as they finish the expansion, they figure out they didn’t go big enough and start planning to expand again!!
@DABrock-author22 күн бұрын
Unfortunately, in many Texas cities the 'NIMBY' crowd has way too much power and / or influence.
@brycechristensen151021 күн бұрын
@@davidbehrend7054 I wonder how often this is due to political and budget constraints. I live in San Antonio now, but I grew up in Boise, ID and a really important road stopped up on a ridge and didn't connect to the valley below. A project was undertaken to build a graceful slope down to the valley below, but then the neighborhoods complained about a bunch of high speed traffic going through their area, so the project was reduced to a single lane each way with slow speed limits and speed bumps. That kept the local residents from throwing out the politicians, but just a few years later, they had to redo a big chunk of the projects to bring it up to two lanes plus a turn lane that it should have been from the beginning.
@LukasFink114 күн бұрын
@@davidbehrend7054 Almost as if induced demand is a real thing and as if it’s impossible to solve traffic congestion while making everyone having to drive everywhere.
@mog022 күн бұрын
Would love to see a comparison with UK interchanges. I don't think we have junctions anywhere near as complex as these but still don't have problems with traffic flow. Thorney Interchange seems to be one of busiest in UK but it only seems to have 4 grades and looks simpler than the US ones without any of the stops or crossing a lot of those in this video suffer from.
@Croz8922 күн бұрын
Not so many lanes generally.
@CMOT.Dibbler22 күн бұрын
I'd say the closest in the UK is the M6 / A38 junction in Birmingham, lovingly known as Spaghetti Junction!
@pavelow23522 күн бұрын
The UK has crazy one-lane flyovers that are the width of a compact car....like driving in a roller coaster....
@nowster22 күн бұрын
Britain only has two four level stacks (Alconbury M4/M5 and Merstham M23/M25). There are no remaining intact cloverleaf interchanges, and none of those which were built were ever on Motorways.
@stephen989422 күн бұрын
@@CMOT.Dibbler lovingly? It's officially been named as that I think. Or at least that's what the BBC traffic announcements led me to believe. "Tailbacks at the QE2 bridge, Dartford Tunnel and Spaghetti Junction" basically summarises the evening national traffic report.
@SorinNicu20 күн бұрын
Your ideal city consists of a crowded dormitory made of thousands of blocks full of people crammed into concrete buildings. Good for companies and efficient transport of workers to them, but not good for living a pleasant life.
@jess500texas22 күн бұрын
Everything in Texas is bigger including our traffic delays, construction delays, traffic violation fines...
@DavidM200222 күн бұрын
"Everything in Texas is bigger..." That's what my Dad use to say. And then he'd add that if you gave a Texan an enema, you could bury him in a shoe box.
@boyblue327022 күн бұрын
@DavidM2002 texas has an upper crust composed mostly of ex-slave owner wealth....soooo. not shocked. And as a native texan....my home state repulses me in every way. A stain on human history.
@Ckamerad22 күн бұрын
I work for a state DOT as a health and safety coordinator. Texas roads and programs are among the best in the nation when it comes to worker safety and traffic management. They represent a gold standard in the US and abroad when it comes to building safe roads for both motorists and road workers. If you ever meet someone who works in traffic or employee safety in Texas give them a high five and thank them for the work they put in!
@IstasPumaNevada21 күн бұрын
I'm happy for the road safety and especially for the worker safety, but "more, bigger roads" is definitely not where we should be devoting our money and land.
@haroldbeauchamp377017 күн бұрын
@@IstasPumaNevadaperhaps Texas should find ways to prevent population growth? Of course not, so as long as population increases, Texas will need more roads and expansion of current roads.
@vaokon973917 күн бұрын
@@haroldbeauchamp3770you know there’s other ways to move people than roads, right? Ways that don’t involve bulldozing then paving half the city to make it fit?
@ChrisPikula22 күн бұрын
That looks like an entire headache to deal with.
@jacobcortez354522 күн бұрын
The big stacks are usually pretty easy to navigate as long as you can read road signs.
@Gundam4President22 күн бұрын
It is and I hate it. I love driving which is why I support public transit. Most people shouldn’t be on the road. In a perfect world I can go 65 in a 65 because the idiots braking for no reason took a train
@Lobonova22 күн бұрын
No is not. I enjoy driving on them. No headaches.
@f937r22 күн бұрын
The only real headache is the traffic jams. The signage to point you where you need to go is actually decent.
@chefnyc22 күн бұрын
@Gundam4President I also wish teenagers and grandmas and soccer moms weren’t forced to drive. Then we could have had stricter licensing requirements.
@mikea574522 күн бұрын
The High Five is a great example of the limitations of car dependency. It's an incredibly expensive and complex engineering project, but it still have major flow issues. It's also very uncomfortable to drive with how complex it is to know the correct lane to take
@matthewgaines1022 күн бұрын
Any and all systems have limitations. There is no perfect engineered system. It’s a feature, not a bug. GPS makes it simple for me every time. It’s unclear what would give you an acceptable level of “comfort” but you can never please everyone.
@FullLengthInterstates22 күн бұрын
@@matthewgaines10 in addition to using GPS and reading signs, you can also preview your route with streetview and satellite view. If you don't plan your trip, you shouldn't be surprised with the results.
@DoubLL22 күн бұрын
Yeah. The video was very interesting, but the actual answer to the question in the title is: "because they don't know what trains are" 😅
@truckerdave846522 күн бұрын
Have you met the Katy freeway? It’s in Houston. It’s car dependency meets ‘one more lane will do it’
@CandleWisp21 күн бұрын
@@matthewgaines10 Things can always be better. And the limits of road transport reaches far sooner when public transport options are poor.
@BraveNewWrld3 күн бұрын
I have driven in almost every major US city and lived in Dallas, DC, Baltimore..I can easily say while Dallas has the most traffic, it is by far the most well engineered and managed traffic system of any city...from simple solutions like the movable HOV lanes on I-30 to major engineering projects like the LBJ expressway...frontage roads are soooo helpful and amazing as well. I was so impresseds by this concept whe n i first moved there as these simply dont exist in the northeast...
@tnycrmb22 күн бұрын
My gosh. The crazy-good animations combined with all the gorgeous drone footage of the interchanges really set this video apart. Next-level KZbin-ing here. 👏
@notbydesign331622 күн бұрын
"--at Grady Separations"
@Alex-bi1cl14 күн бұрын
I live in DFW so I know most of what they are talking about, drive through them almost everyday, it might sound and look super confusing, but believe me, once you get it figured out it’s the most convenient thing ever, I got the opportunity to live in other states and the amount of time people can save if they had these would be astronomical.
@evan22 күн бұрын
I’d wanna drive on it one day just to experience it. Insane how big it is. Not the most efficient use of space… similar to the jersey jughandle in the respect
@NicMediaDesign22 күн бұрын
In Germany the four leave clover is merge is at a separate lane for the on/offramps.
@justinsayin397920 күн бұрын
A lot of states in the US have those too, but the traffic from those separate lanes still causes backups on the main interstate/motorway.
@4dognight19219 күн бұрын
Knowing how to properly merge is the biggest problem for many drivers, many can't figure out how to spot the gap and/or match the highway speed to slip in to traffic at the gap. Brake lights are one of the last things you want to see in front of you when on the highway.
@KontroldKaos17 күн бұрын
Right! From reading the comments, it seems many people only know how to keep the car on the road, but not really maneuver it.
@Ntegritty11 күн бұрын
No accidents or construction just cars merging onto the freeway too slow. It causes bumper to bumper traffic pretty quickly even on weekend days
@qoph19883 күн бұрын
Trust me, brake lights are the ONLY thing you see on I-35
@SteelinTX22 күн бұрын
I have driven the high 5 so many times over the past 19 years. It can be quite the white knuckle event during inclement weather.
@KyVisuals20 күн бұрын
And rush hour
@stevemoore395122 күн бұрын
The Sam Rayburn Tollway that feeds onto 35W going north feels like it is higher than the High 5. I see lots of people booing about DFW traffic but the traffic in Houston is much worse. Austin traffic ? Been a mess on 35 since the 70’s. I lived most of my life in DFW and now am in Phoenix. I LOL when people talk about “traffic”.
@csmlouis22 күн бұрын
Houston takes the cake when it comes to time and distance, you are moving 10-ish mph that feels like forever. Austin is more of your typical "overflow" meets tons of red lights.
@justanotheraviator235722 күн бұрын
I've always loved our Texan "spaghetti mess" interchanges. Also, Bearded Grady should stick around a while.
@atom1kcreeper60522 күн бұрын
0:13 ive never actually seen it from above
@Bmonkeygurl15 күн бұрын
Same!
@nax18073 күн бұрын
man as an High Frequency systems network engineer, i just love to marve at these civil masterpieces some of us may take for granted everyday.
@Lvvcassss19 күн бұрын
So many roads, interchanges, highways etc. and still traffic jams are everywhere...
@vladimirchernov586622 күн бұрын
Two wrongs don't make a right, but three rights make a left.
@KyVisuals20 күн бұрын
In a cloverleaf, 3 rights make a right
@Memoreism14 күн бұрын
0:35 "flowing" as i look at a huge traffic jam in every direction 😂😂
@romoc0p22 күн бұрын
The High 5 is so cool; amazing to see in person. Dallas sucks though.
@breakupgoogle22 күн бұрын
lol
@nightraver5622 күн бұрын
Much of Indiana around Indianapolis got rid of stoplights but putting roundabouts at all 4 corners of of many interchange diamonds. Once you get the hang & figure out what's happening it's not too bad but oh my LORD it can feel like a Labyrinth the first few days when you been away. Indiana has a love affair with roundabouts
@cmmartti22 күн бұрын
No, it's mostly just Carmel that has a love affair with roundabouts.
@cadetstar19 күн бұрын
As someone who grew up in ruralish Texas along I-35, I always took frontage roads for granted. Moving to Houston, it was a shock going downtown and having direct on and off ramps to the highway... now that's all I use here in Missouri
@Tudsamfa22 күн бұрын
But keep in mind, we don't have the money for railways.
@redcuillin22 күн бұрын
I see what you did there.
@dulouser175121 күн бұрын
To be fair the US also doesn't really have the money to build 4+ stack interchanges and 6+ lane highways among other things, and yet those are still constructed.
@IstasPumaNevada21 күн бұрын
@@dulouser1751 Thing is, more comprehensive public transport would also reduce the need for as many lanes of local roads, and for all those parking lots, and for expenditures on personal vehicles... Car-based suburbs are basically a subsidy for the already-better-off, at the expense of everyone. If we're going to be spending the money, it should be on more efficient forms of transportation that reduce noise and waste and pollution and improve lives in general.
@dulouser175121 күн бұрын
@@IstasPumaNevada I am well aware that it's more efficient in a number of ways, including economically, but for public transport to be viable you need a dense network with regular, fast and reliable service (not just the high speed rail but also regular rail transporting people to and from major train stations) and that requires a huge upfront investment and a significant time frame, ergo it requires a lot of political power as well as a population that is willing to wait 10+ years until such a massive undertaking bears fruit. And that's absolutely not the case in the US, especially since the US is already making debt at a record level.
@tzoninghard242520 күн бұрын
We have rails and dont want anymore
@MrFriday8322 күн бұрын
As a truck driver, Dallas is within in the top 5 hated cities for me to drive in. These tall stacks, seem to fail in recognizing human behaviour driver fear and these heights do make drivers freeze and slow down.. Mix this in a semi where the barriers are pretty much non existent yeesh. Now compound this with mechanical limitations of a heavy semi with steep grades it just doesn't work. Not to mention on the flat ground all these lanes split with no REAL clear marking on where you should go, and all gps does get confused. The one over by the air port is far worse where virtually every other car/semi has to do a Uturn at the Airport (this u turn isnt fun in a semi) I agree the bridges are awesome, but HORRIBLY implemented. The Tollway bypasses in chicago now that's impressive to me,. It just works
@jordanhicken781219 күн бұрын
Growing up in Dallas and watching the High Five being built was pretty special
@heathicusmaximus817022 күн бұрын
I am SO glad our city got rid of 3 of the 4 cloverleaves in one of our interchanges! Gosh it makes the world flow so much smoother.
@Scoots199422 күн бұрын
One of the issues Texas has with the lack of frontage roads now is that they have so many private toll highways, those private companies are incentivized to not have frontage roads so they can force more cars onto the toll road.
@notahotshot22 күн бұрын
Name just one privately owned Texas toll road.
@Scoots199422 күн бұрын
@@notahotshot 130, at least it was initially. Don't know if that has changed. 45 supposedly was too. Hard to find the way stuff is reported on them.
@FalseHerald22 күн бұрын
While technically "owned" by the state, a few toll roads were designed and operated by private interests. It's currently only 5 projects across the state though, and most of those are "express" lane type projects for existing freeways.
@mcpr597122 күн бұрын
This was the reason I never explored New Jersey. Every time I just drove straight through because I don't want to pay a fee each time I enter the highway!
@Scoots199422 күн бұрын
@@FalseHerald Good to know. I remember like 15 years ago hearing the agreement they signed with the municipalities had rules to encourage more traffic lights on frontage roads and longer times on lights and less expansion of frontage roads. There is a place near me where two towns have been arguing about finishing about 1/4 mile of frontage roads about who is going to pay the contract penalty for the losses to the toll road. I hope they go away overall. I know one of the state regulators tried to get 130 to be toll free, but the cost to get out of the contract of $3B was too much to get passed.
@AccountInactive19 күн бұрын
As someone who used to move oversize loads, often tall, I'm glad Texas overpass are so tall. When you cross over from Louisiana or Arkansas, you just kinda breathe a sigh of relief... Until you encounter texas drivers. Then you up your life insurance. Also, roundabouts, horseshoe ramps, and diverging diamonds can go to hell. Makes moving loads a nightmare.
@pluribus_unum22 күн бұрын
So, the fact it was easy to build long, straight roads and that landowner-favoring eminent domain laws combined to make the roads go up, up, up, up, up (instead of merely up, up, up, up.)
@pluribus_unum22 күн бұрын
10:30 - The video within the video! Kudos.
@marekvahle22 күн бұрын
This is the most American thing I've ever seen
@pavelow23522 күн бұрын
They don't have roads in the country you live in ?
@demoniack8122 күн бұрын
@@pavelow235 Not with 16 levels of bridges. Here in Italy the vast majority of interchanges only have two levels. If a road needs to go over/under multiple other they usually make the interchange wider and use multiple smaller bridges. For example, here's the biggest interchange I can remember off the top of my head and it's only three levels. 45°01'19.4"N 7°35'57.1"E
@ImieNazwiskoOK22 күн бұрын
Then where are the guns
@pavelow23522 күн бұрын
@@demoniack81 I think this is about a "five" level highway interchange. A quick google image search of "Autostrade" in Italy and it looks just as ugly and anti urbanist as anything in the USA, so I don't know what you are talking about.
@takeshi12424 күн бұрын
What I really like about TX, having moved here now full time, is the frontage roads by highways, and the U-turn system that alleviate traffic at intersections! Very cool and traffic much better here imo compared to Los Angeles or Bay Area or Atlanta where I used to drive a lot.
@Digital_Griffin7 күн бұрын
I know it's hip to hate cars these days, but you *are* allowed to appreciate road infrastructure without a multi-minute apology for the very concept of the automobile
@chrissilman849522 күн бұрын
In Austin. I hate them. There is no more room to drive. We need the train now but of course Austin is 30 years behind on infrastructure.
@kutnahora10012 күн бұрын
I was telling my co-workers here in Greater Sacramento area how progressive Texas is in terms of highway infrastructures compared to the ones we have in the Bay area or Northern California. I miss traversing those hi-ways when I was living in Texas 12 years ago.
@TheHungarianMan22 күн бұрын
Just one more lane Bro! Just one more lane...
@silverXnoise22 күн бұрын
The maintenance requirements for these in the next 50-years must be horrifying.
@jimmypavone323120 күн бұрын
They will have to be rebuilt is people go all electric, due to excess weight.