Malfunction Junction
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This article is about a problematic highway interchange. For the comic, see Malcolm Hancock.
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"Malfunction Junction" is a derisive nickname given by motorists to a confusing, dangerous, or otherwise problematic interchange. The name is generally applied to the following interchanges in the United States:
[edit] Alabama
- Interstates (65/20/59) in Birmingham, Alabama. This interchange is the busiest in Alabama, and has been the site of many accidents, including roadway punctures and two fiery explosions, one of a gasoline truck on January 5, 2002. Map and Aerial photo
- Interstate 565/Memorial Parkway (U.S. Route 231/431) in Huntsville, Alabama, because of its seemingly endless maze of ramps and exits going to at least 6 different roadways. Map and Aerial photo
[edit] California
- Interstates 5/10, U.S. Route 101, and State Route 60, are primarily known as the East Los Angeles Interchange. Complexity due to shifting of alignments of the highways and changes in direction. Map and Aerial Photo
[edit] Colorado
- Interstates (270/76/25) Denver-Boulder Turnpike in Denver, Colorado Prior planning is essential here as congestion will often make lane changes nearly impossible, so drivers are prone to miss their desired exits. Map and Aerial Photo
[edit] Florida
- Interstates (95/10-terminus) in Jacksonville, Florida. Due to construction at the interchange this merger is quickly becoming known as "Malfunction Junction". During rush hour on any given day this merger experiences heavy traffic for miles on Interstate 10 as far West as Interstate 295. Map and Aerial Photo
- Interstates (4/275) in Tampa, Florida, due to extended construction and dangerous curves causing traffic jams in every direction during the rush hour.[1] Map and Aerial photo
- Golden Glades Interchange (I 95/Florida's Turnpike/US-441/Palmetto Expressway/SR 9) in Miami, Florida. The interchange often comes up in traffic reports due to its heavy volume. Map and Aerial Photo
[edit] Michigan
- Interstate 96 (Jeffries Freeway)/M-39 (Southfield Freeway) in Detroit, Michigan. Map and Aerial photo
[edit] Missouri
- Interstates (70/35/29)/US 71 in Kansas City, Missouri. On Interstate 70, there are ten exits in the span of one mile, labeled exits 2A to 2J. Staying on 70, coming east from Kansas, requires being in the left lane as several highways splice off to the right, and then a hard merge to the right as several lanes enter from the left, and only the rightmost remains 70. Map and Aerial Photo See also Downtown freeway loop (Kansas City).
[edit] New Jersey
- Interstate 80/US Route 46/State Route 23 in Wayne, NJ. This interchange has several challenging aspects. Of particular difficulty is the route from Route 23 South to I-80 which is one of several routes which require multiple loops which tend to disorient the driver. Combined with confusing or missing signs this interchange can be very difficult to navigate. Map and Aerial Photo
[edit] New York
- U.S. Route 9 in New York and New York State Route 73 intersect about 10 miles south of Elizabethtown, New York and 10 miles south of Keene, New York.
[edit] North Carolina
- Interstates (40/240/26) in Asheville, North Carolina[2], which causes traffic at times to come to a standstill up to 5-7 miles east of the junction on I-26, beyond the crossing of the Blue Ridge Parkway, as well as lesser delays in other directions. Sitting in this delay is made less frustrating at least by the natural scenery in the area. Map and Aerial photo
[edit] Ohio
- Interstate 75/State Route 4/Main Street/State Route 48/Grand Avenue in Dayton, Ohio.[3] Map, Aerial photo
- Interstate 70 and Interstate 71 in Columbus, on a 1.5-mile multiplex section that is known locally as "The Split".
[edit] South Carolina
- Interstates (26/126/20) and Bush River Rd. in Columbia, South Carolina. Map and Aerial Photo
[edit] Tennessee
- Interstates (40/275 (originally Interstate 75) in Knoxville, Tennessee, which caused traffic snarls before diversion of I-75 west of Knoxville and reconfiguration of the interchange.[4]Map and Aerial photo
- Interstates (240/55) in Memphis, Tennessee. Interstate 55 assumes the southbound (from Mississippi) and westbound (from the Mississippi River and Arkansas) routes of this interchange, while Interstate 240, formerly Interstate 255, consists of the northbound and eastbound. Due to the irregular exchange of route markers, expressway exits have been extensively modified to handle the excess amount of traffic (compared to driving from east-to-west or north-to-south). Accidents frequently occurred not only to the confusion caused by route changes, but by trucks unprepared for the low clearances used on the Arkansas-bound stretch of Interstate 55. (Although not part of the interchange, tractor trailers and tractor tankers would frequently get lodged under the low bridges found on I-55 west of this junction.) Map and Aerial photo
[edit] Texas
- Interstates (Interstates (410/10) 410 Loop in San Antonio, TX These kinds of interchanges are very confusing to the out-of-town driver, however, their soaring bridgework is impressive. Map and Aerial Photo
[edit] Virginia
- Interstates (95/495/395)/Virginia 644 in Springfield, Virginia. The Springfield Interchange, informally known as the "Mixing Bowl", was once rated one of the most dangerous interchanges in the country. A reconstruction project began in 1999 and was completed in 2007. Map and Aerial Photo
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ St. Petersburg Times Online article on the Malfunction Junction
- ^ CITIZEN-TIMES.com article mentioning "Malfunction Junction"
- ^ TRAC 2005-2010 Projects List (PDF). URL accessed at 14:48, 2 April 2006 (UTC).
- ^ Knoxville drivers have dealt with traffic woes for 50 years. URL accessed at 10:55, 2 April 2006 (UTC).
