18 Most Confusing Intersections In the World

This cover may be a bit of a caricature, but some intersections around the world really seem to do their best to imitate it. If you ever get caught in one of these intersections.... best of luck to you!

Shanghai’s Nanpu Bridge Interchange

So there’s two lanes of highway traffic going around in a circle, and you have to figure out where your exit is while being disoriented, and if you mess up you’re going across that bridge and then have to somehow find your way back and try to find your exit going the OTHER way now.

Identical Exits

There are so many bridges here, which one is the one you want? The second one? The fifth one? Maybe the highway at the bottom of the picture?

Swindon, UK

Here they have mastered the concept of ’roundabout-ception.’ They put five roundabouts in a roundabout so that… you can get super confused and have 10 different ways to get from one road to another.

Porta Maggiore

This funky set of roads in Italy acts like a funky roundabout, with roads come and going all over the place, finding the one you want to take is not easy.

Shibuya Crossing

In Tokyo this intersection just looks like a normal, wide, easy one when there aren’t any people around. But…. There are always SO MANY people that navigating it seems daunting to say the least.

Taganskaya Square

Located in Moscow, this set of intersections is not only confusing due to the number of roads going in and out, but the roads are wide to accommodate huge volumes of traffic. No one is going to be nice and let you slowly stare at roadsigns and change lanes 5 times when so many people have to get through.

LA Harry Pregerson Interchange

Yeahhh, so there’s about five options in every direction, and LA traffic is some of the worst in the world. This interchange isn’t helping.

Arc de Triomph

More like Arc de Confusion, if you get caught up in this roundabout you may be going in circles for a while! With so many lanes of traffic it’s almost every man for himself as you try to figure out which of these branching off streets is the one you want to take, because heaven forbid that you have to turn around and go into the roundabout a second time.

Arc de Triomphe close-up

See how in even slightly heavy traffic, you can end up with almost 10 cars accross! How are people supposed to get off with 9 cars next to them and trucks cutting them off in front?

Birmingham Spaghetti Junction

Anything with spaghetti in the name is already confusing. Spaghetti is all mixed up and impossible to get to cooperate on your fork, how

Diverging Diamond Crossover

This type of intersection switches the right and left lanes to try to make entrance and exit from the highways more efficient. It probably works, but for most people having not seen it, it can be very confusing. Try to follow the lights and stay alert!

Somerville

In the UK, this intersection has two and a half roundabouts with 6 roads coming in and out with parking lots and businesses all around it. Free for all mode is engaged.

Halifax 1

This intersection in Halifax has 6 roads and boulevards coming into the main intersection with two side roads coming in and out right nearby. There are trees blocking vision of oncoming traffic, and you somehow have to make it to one of the roads of your choosing without crashing into other people doing the same thing.

Halifax 2 – Roundabout

This roundabout looks like a normal two lane roundabout (which is bad enough, how are you supposed to get off when you’re in the inner lane?), but at one point they actually gave right-of-way to people ENTERING the roundabout, which confused everyone and resulted in major accidents.

Seoul Toll

This isn’t quite an intersection per se, but it looks like an almost photoshopped road. It looks like a waterfall of cars. It looks like entering warp drive. Regardless, all these cards are getting crammed into a narrower and narrower road in some kind of crazy free for all.

Gibraltar Airport

If you weren’t expecting it, you might come up to the stoplight wondering why the intersection here is just so huge. Then suddenly, a PLANE just casually crosses the street, before the green light comes.

Meskel Square

In Addis Abeba, this intersection actually doesn’t have any lights! People literally are just going where they please, when they please, and everyone just has to kind of try not to hit anyone else. Keep your eyes open!

Ho Chi Minh City

In Vietnam, most people are driving scooters and motorcycles around. Being in a car must be terrible, because you could hit someone with basically any movement!